RTM Card: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, all the franchises were allowed to retain upto six players which includes a maximum of five capped internationals and two uncapped Indian players retention.
However, if the teams haven’t utilized their quota of six retentions, they can use the Right to Match (RTM) card to retain their players from the existing squad. This is a unique strategy that makes it easier for the franchises to acquire back their released player at the highest bid during the auction.
Based on the retention list submitted on October 31 (Thursday), it is understood that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are left with no RTM option after retaining six core players. As a result, the other eight teams have the flexibility to use at least one RTM card during the grand event.
Especially, teams with a huge fan base in IPL such as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would make the mega auction much more dynamic if they use RTM cards.
It would be interesting to find out the possible options available for these three teams to use RTM cards to retain quality players.
1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): 3 RTMs
RCB can use 3 RTM options on any of these best-capped players such as:
- Glenn Maxwell: Despite having a forgettable IPL 2024 season, Maxwell’s previous contributions would make RCB reconsider the possibility of retaining him through RTM.
- Mohammed Siraj: It was a surprising move by RCB to release Siraj ahead of the auction who was the key pacer for the team since his joining in 2018. There are fewer chances RCB could retain him at a lower price using RTM as other franchises would be aiming to secure the services of the 30-year-old fast bowler.
- Will Jacks: The 25-year-old all-rounder’s 41-ball century might prompt the franchise to retain him at a lower price using RTM to strengthen the middle-order batting lineup.
- Faf du Plessis: The South African batter’s aging factor makes RCB keep him as the last retention option if they aren’t able to retain any young talents through RTM.
If the franchise is left with the option of using an RTM card on an uncapped player, then Anuj Rawat could be the ideal choice who could fit into the role of a wicketkeeper and batter after Dinesh Karthik’s retirement.
- Retained Players: 3
- Virat Kohli (capped Indian): INR 21 crores
- Rajat Patidar (capped Indian): INR 11 crores
- Yash Dayal (Uncapped Indian): INR 5 crores
- Total Amount spent for Retention (Out of INR 120 crores purse): INR 37 crores
- Purse Remaining for Auction: INR 82 crores
- Right to Match Options: 3 (capped and uncapped players)
2. Mumbai Indians (MI): 1 RTM
After retaining five capped cricketers, Mumbai Indians can use one RTM card to retain an uncapped Indian player. So, it wouldn’t be possible to retain the capped power hitters such as Tim David or Ishan Kishan.
- Retained Players: 5
- Jasprit Bumrah (capped Indian): INR 18 crores
- Hardik Pandya (capped Indian): INR 16.35 crores
- Suryakumar Yadav (capped Indian): INR 16.35 crores
- Rohit Sharma (capped Indian): INR 16.30 crores
- Tilak Varma (capped Indian): INR 8 crores
- Total Amount spent for Retention (Out of INR 120 crores purse): INR 75 crores
- Purse Remaining for Auction: INR 45 crores
- Right to Match Options: 1 (uncapped player)
Possibly, any one of these four Indian cricketers could be retained using an RTM card under the uncapped category:
- Nehal Wadhera: The 24-year-old cricketer marked a successful debut in the 2023 season by scoring two half-centuries out of 14 innings. However, in 2024, he played just 6 games with a strike rate of less than 30. He could be one of the four full-time batters in the retention list through RTM.
- Akash Madhwal: The death-over specialist can make effective contributions by completing the pace attack with Jasprit Bumrah.
- Naman Dhir: The 24-year-old batsman marked his debut in IPL 2024 and scored 140 runs in 7 innings, including his best score of 62 runs. His hard-hitting abilities are similar to the early cricketing days of Hardik Pandya. As a part-time off-spinner, he can be an attractive option for RTM.
- Piyush Chawla: It has been more than five years since Piyush Chawla played an international match, and he can be retained through RTM under the uncapped player category. The 35-year-old has been a consistent performer for MI in the past two seasons and the franchise would aim to retain him back during the auction.
3. Chennai Super Kings (CSK): 1 RTM
Retaining a combination of four capped and an uncapped player, Chennai Super Kings can use an RTM card to retain either capped or uncapped cricketer. Also, MS Dhoni has been categorized as an uncapped player since he retired from international cricket back in July 2019.
Possibly, CSK could target these five capped players:
- Devon Conway: The New Zealand batter could fill the void with an opening batter’s slot who could maintain consistent partnerships with Ruturaj Gaikwad.
- Rachin Ravindra: The rising talented Kiwi all-rounder has been showing his intent to score runs and grab wickets in all formats, thereby promising to be a future investment.
- Deepak Chahar: Being a core part of CSK’s bowling unit since 2018, Deepak Chahar has made crucial contributions by taking wickets consistently during powerplay overs.
- Tushar Deshpande: CSK might prefer retaining the 29-year-old medium pacer who took 38 wickets in the previous two seasons.
Considering the retention of an uncapped player, then Sameer Rizvi appears to be the top choice who can play fierce strokes in death overs and can be substituted under the impact player rule.
- Retained Players: 5
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (Capped Indian): INR 18 crores
- Matheesha Pathirana (Capped Overseas): INR 13 crores
- Shivam Dube (Capped Indian): INR 12 crores
- Ravindra Jadeja (Capped Indian): INR 18 crores
- MS Dhoni (Uncapped Indian): INR 4 crores
- Total Amount spent for Retention (Out of INR 120 crores purse): INR 65 crores
- Purse Remaining for Auction: INR 55 crores
- Right to Match Options: 1 (capped or uncapped player)
