Right To Match Returns in IPL 2025 Auction: How Does RTM Work? - All You Need To Know About The Rule

The Right to Match (RTM) card option returned to the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the mega auction, scheduled to be held later this year either in November or December and mostly likely in an overseas venue.

RTM, which was done away in the 2022 Mega Auction, returns after three editions as the BCCI on Saturday (September 28) finalized the retention rules, allowing teams a total of 6 retentions ahead of the new IPL season.

The BCCI has announced the ten teams can retain a total of 6 players from their existing squad (from the 2024 season team). Teams can retain players either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.

This means the teams can opt to use the RTM for all their six retentions should they decide not to retain any player during the retention window, which will close a month before the auction.

But what is RTM? Is there any change to the rules from the previous editions? When was the rule last used? Here is all you need to know about the RTM rule that makes it's return after nearly four years:

What is RTM? How Does it Work?

The RTM option allows the franchise the ability to buy back the player from the 2024 edition during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another franchise, once the bidding is over.

However, there is a twist to the rule this year to make it fair for the player and the team bidding for the said player. There has been calls from cricketers like Ravichandran Ashwin to tweak the rule.

And the BCCI seem to have made the change. While the team could just match the highest bid when the rule was in play in 2018 Mega Auction, there is a slight change to the rule this year.

What is the change in RTM rule for IPL 2025 auction?

According to a report from CricBuzz, the highest bidder will be given one more chance to put in a bid once the team with the RTM card for the said player exercise their option to match the highest bid.

"BCCI has introduced a substantial change to the way the RTM option can be played during the auction. Where previously, the team could simply agree to match the highest bid amount at the auction to claim the player, this time around, the highest bidder will be given one final opportunity to further raise their bid before the team holding the RTM claims the player," read the report.

How does the new rule work?

For example, Royal Challengers Bengaluru put in the highest bid for Shivam Dube, and his 2024 team Chennai Super Kings will be given the option to match the bid with their RTM card. However, unlike the previous times, the highest bidder - RCB will be given another chance to increase the bid for Dube.

Is there an extra RTM added if the highest bidding team loses the said player to another team through RTM?

There has been a rumour doing the rounds that a team will get an extra RTM as compensation should they fail in their attempt to land a player despite putting in the winning bid and losing the player to RTM. But there is no such condition as per the rules released by IPL.