Match Fees Introduced in IPL for the First Time, Strict Stance on Overseas Players

After a constructive discussion with the owners of the 10 franchises at the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) headquarters in July, the IPL Governing Council (GC) finalized the TATA IPL Player Regulations for the 2025-2027 cycle on September 28 in Bengaluru.

The following decisions were taken in the IPL Governing Council meeting:

1. IPL franchises can retain a total of 6 players from their existing squads. This can be done through retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.
2. Franchises will have the discretion to choose their combination of retentions and RTMs. Out of the 6 retentions/RTMs, a maximum of 5 can be capped players (Indian or foreign), and a maximum of 2 can be uncapped players.
3. The auction purse for franchises has been set at INR 120 crore for IPL 2025. The total salary cap will now include the auction purse, incremental performance bonuses, and match fees. In 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + performance bonuses) was INR 110 crore, which will now be INR 146 crore in 2025, INR 151 crore in 2026, and INR 157 crore in 2027.
4. For the first time in IPL history, match fees have been introduced. Each player (including the Impact Player) will receive a match fee of INR 7.5 lakh per match, in addition to their contracted amount.
5. Any overseas player must register for the Big Auction. If an overseas player does not register, they will be ineligible to register for the auction in the following year.
6. If a player registers for the auction and is picked but makes themselves unavailable before the start of the season, they will be banned from participating in the tournament and the player auction for the next two seasons.
7. A capped Indian player will become uncapped if they have not played in the starting XI of an international cricket match (Test, ODI, or T20 International) in the last five calendar years preceding the relevant season or if they do not have a central contract with BCCI. This rule applies to Indian players only.
8. The Impact Player regulation will continue for the 2025-2027 cycle.