IPL 2025 Mega Auction Rules: Right To Match – What Does it Mean & How Does RTM Work?

IPL 2025 Mega Auction is all set to take place across two days - Sunday (November 24) and Monday (November 25) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where a maximum of 204 slots can be filled.

A total of 577 players have made the auction final player list as revealed by the BCCI. And among the 577 players, 367 are Indians and 210 are overseas stars, including 4 Associate Nation players.

Ahead of the IPL Mega Auction, all 10 teams were allowed to retain a maximum of 6 players from their 2024 squad. This could be done via direct retention or through a returning rule of Right to Match (RTM), which a team can use during the auction.

Although 204 slots including 70 slots can be filled during the bidding process, some teams can buy back some of their released players using the RTM card. At least eight teams will have the option to use RTM at the auction table across the next two days.

What is RTM card in IPL Auction?

As the name suggests, the RTM card gives IPL teams the option to retain specific players from their previous squad even if they are bid on by other teams during the auction.

The rule was first introduced during the IPL 2014 mega auction and also featured in the 2018 edition with each team allowed to use three RTM cards. The rule was scrapped from the IPL 2022 auction, but returns for the IPL 2025 Mega Auction with a certain tweaks. Here is a look at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction Rules - RTM:

How does RTM rule work in IPL Mega Auction?

Heading into the IPL 2025 auction, each of the 10 teams were allowed to retain up to six players from their previous squads, with a limit of a maximum of five capped and two uncapped Indian players.

Teams which opted not to use up their full quota of pre-auction retentions before the deadline on October 31st, has the opportunity to use RTM cards during the auction. For instance, if a team retains four players they will have two RTM cards for the auction.

However, the cap of five capped players and two uncapped Indian players will still apply. This means that teams who have retained five capped players pre-auction can only use their only RTM option on an uncapped Indian player during the main auction.

Using the RTM card allows a team to match the highest bid on any of its former players from the previous season during the auction to buy him back. While using the RTM card was enough to retain the player in 2014 and 2018, the IPL 2025 auction RTM rule has added a new twist.

What's the twist in the RTM rule for IPL Mega Auction 2025?

Once a team uses RTM, the original bidder will get one final opportunity to raise their bid for the player. If the original bidder raises their bid again the team, which used the RTM card in the first instance, will have to match that bid again to retain the player.

If not, the team that made the final bid will sign the player and the original team will keep their RTM card to use it later. For example, if CSK secure the winning bid for Glenn Maxwell at Rs 6 Crore, then RCB can use the RTM to match CSK's winning bid of Rs 6 Crore to retain the Australian all-rounder.

However, CSK will be given one more chance to increase their bid, say they raise their final bid to Rs 8 Crore, RCB will need to match that price to retain their former player. If RCB do not match that final raised bid, then CSK will buy Maxwell at Rs 8 Crore.