Mumbai Indians (MI) have already announced player retentions for the IPL 2025 season and now they face a conundrum ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Having already retained five capped players, MI have exhausted their quota for retaining capped players, leaving them unable to use the Right to Match (RTM) option for key players Ishan Kishan and Tim David, both of whom are capped.
The IPL’s retention policy allows franchises to retain up to six players through a combination of direct retention and RTM cards.
However, there are specific limits: a maximum of five capped players (Indian or overseas) and up to two uncapped players can be retained. This structure is designed to maintain a balance between team continuity and the opportunity for player redistribution among franchises.
As of the latest retention announcements, MI has secured the services of five capped players:
This lineup shows MI’s strategy to maintain a strong core of experienced players. However, this decision has implications for their ability to retain additional capped players.
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Both Ishan Kishan and Tim David have been instrumental in MI’s recent campaigns. Kishan, an explosive wicketkeeper-batsman, has represented India in various formats, while David, known for his power-hitting, has played for Australia, earning him a capped status.
Given that MI has already retained five capped players, they have reached the maximum limit for such retentions. The RTM option, which allows a franchise to match the highest bid for a player during the auction to retain them, is also subject to the same capped and uncapped player restrictions.
Mumbai Indians have already retained five capped players, which is the maximum limit for capped retention. Therefore, MI cannot use their remaining RTM card on Kishan or David, as both are capped players.
This situation presents a significant challenge for MI’s management. Losing players of Kishan’s and David’s caliber could impact the team’s performance and brand value.
The franchise must now decide whether to enter the auction with the intent to bid competitively for these players or to identify and invest in emerging talent to fill the potential voids.
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MI could allocate a substantial portion of their auction purse to reacquire Kishan and David. However, this approach carries the risk of inflating their salaries and limiting funds for other acquisitions.
Alternatively, the franchise might look to retain uncapped players with high potential or consider other capped players who could be acquired at a more economical price.
Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir are two uncapped players who showed significant potential and promise in the last two seasons. MI would want to reacquire one of them with RTM.
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