IPL 2025 Auction Overview: Marquee Players, RTM Card Rules, And Accelerated Process Explained

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction is eagerly awaited and will occur on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This marks only the second time the IPL auction is held outside India. The previous auction in 2024 was also hosted in the Middle East, specifically in Dubai.

Fans can look forward to a thrilling event with a star-studded lineup of players. Intense bidding wars are expected as franchises aim to assemble strong teams for the upcoming season. Surprises are anticipated as teams strategise to secure top talent.

Out of the 574 players shortlisted for this year's auction, there are 204 open roster spots. Ten franchises have collectively retained 46 players. Each team can have up to 25 players, including a maximum of eight overseas players.

The player pool includes 48 capped Indian players and 193 capped overseas players. With 70 overseas spots available, teams have ample opportunities to enhance their squads with diverse talent.

The auction will begin with two sets of marquee players, each featuring six elite athletes. After these marquee sets, players will be presented by category: batsmen, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, fast bowlers, and spinners.

Uncapped players will follow, organised by specialisation. A second round for capped players will then take place. Once these steps conclude, the accelerated auction phase begins, allowing franchises a final chance to refine their rosters.

RTM Rules and Accelerated Auction

This year's auction introduces notable changes like the Right-to-Match (RTM) card and an accelerated auction process. The RTM card returns for the first time since 2018, offering franchises another way to retain key former squad members.

Right-to-Match Card Details

If a franchise uses the RTM card, it can match the highest bid on one of its former players to retain them. A unique twist allows the original highest-bidding team one more chance to raise its bid after RTM is invoked. If matched again by the RTM-holding team, they keep the player.

The RTM card is available to all teams except Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders due to their full quota of six-player retentions being used already. Franchises can use it for up to five capped and two uncapped players from the pool.

Accelerated Auction Process

The accelerated phase starts after 116 players undergo regular bidding. Uncapped batter Ricky Bhui marks this phase's beginning as the 117th player. This streamlined process occurs in two stages:

First Phase: Franchises nominate remaining list players (117 to 574) they wish to see in the auction.

Second Phase: Unsold or un-presented players from the full list can be reintroduced if nominated again by franchises.

This dynamic process allows teams to revisit options if their bidding strategies change during the event.

Viewing Options for IPL Fans

The excitement begins at 3:00 PM IST on November 24 with live telecasts on Star Sports Network. Fans can also stream live via JioCinema app and website, ensuring they don't miss any action as teams compete for top talent.