The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled the retention rules for the IPL 2027 mega auction, increasing the maximum retentions to 6 players per franchise and raising the auction purse to Rs 120 crore.

The announcement, made on Monday, sets the stage for what is expected to be the most expensive player auction in IPL history.

Key Rules

Indian Premier League cricket players during an IPL match at a stadium
  • Maximum retentions: 6 players per franchise (up from 4 in 2024)
  • RTM cards: 2 Right to Match cards per team
  • Auction purse: Rs 120 crore (up from Rs 100 crore)
  • Retention cost: First player Rs 18 crore, second Rs 14 crore, third Rs 11 crore, fourth Rs 9 crore, fifth Rs 7 crore, sixth Rs 5.5 crore
  • Uncapped player retention: Rs 4 crore

Impact on Teams

The increased retention limit gives franchises more stability but also creates tough decisions. Teams like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, with multiple star players, will face difficult choices about who to retain and at what cost.

Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah — if not retained — could command record-breaking prices at the mega auction scheduled for December 2026.

New Teams

The IPL has expanded to 12 teams with the addition of franchises from Ahmedabad and Lucknow in recent years, and the BCCI confirmed that all 12 teams will participate in the mega auction under the same rules.

See also: World Cup Day 5 · World Cup Day 4

Sources