Explained: What is Uncapped Player Rule in IPL?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) started way back in 2008 with a lot of hopes of making it a great tournament in the cricket world. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) succeeded in making IPL one of the biggest leagues in the world, and it has made several improvements throughout the years. Even after 18 years, the tournament is still one of the best and most entertaining leagues in the world, which people wait an entire year to watch it just for two months.

To make a perfect tournament, the IPL committee has set many rules and policies in the past. One similar rule is the Uncapped player rule in the IPL. As per the rule, the players who haven't played an international match or have retired from international cricket for more than five years can be a part of the league under the Uncapped Player rule in IPL. They will be brought to the auction, and franchises can bid on them. Let's have a look what is a uncapped player in IPL.

What is Uncapped Player Rule in IPL?

As mentioned above, the Uncapped Player rule is basically about the players who haven't played international cricket at all or haven't played for the national team for five years or more than five years. However, this rule is only applicable for Indian players as per the IPL's rules and regulations.

Over the years, the franchises have opted for many uncapped players in their teams, and they have shown a lot of potential as well. Players like Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and many more first played in the IPL and then went on to represent the country at the international level.

All these players were rookies when they made their respective IPL debuts, but have emerged to become one of the finest players to have played the league. As expected, all these players have also represented the Indian national team and are still vital for the team's future, mainly in white-ball cricket.

As per the rule, the uncapped players are also cheaper than the others.

The Board allows the franchises to sign the newcomers at a lower price, which will help them get a stage to showcase their talent. Also, it gives the fans a chance to watch their favorite retired players in action again. There were slots for the teams to retain two uncapped players in the team this season.

Most Expensive Uncapped Players in IPL since 2014

The uncapped players have always been a surprise for the opponent teams, as not much information is available. The IPL has given a perfect platform to all these players to showcase their immense talent to the world. Over the years, their demand has significantly risen due to the high amount of talent that they possess. Let's have a look at the most expensive uncapped players in the IPL since 2014.

Top 10 Most Expensive Uncapped Players in IPL 2025

A no. of uncapped Indian players are already making a huge impact in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League. These players not only have the talent but also carry a great amount of experience playing in Indian conditions, something that the overseas players struggle to do. Let's have a look at the top 10 most expensive uncapped players in IPL 2025.

CSK Retain MS Dhoni Under the Uncapped Player Rule

While the name suggests that the player needs to be uncapped, there are a no. of players who have played international cricket but still come under the 'Uncapped Player' category. The uncapped player rule was implemented by the IPL governing council ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. It worked wonders for some teams like Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, as they were able to sign back their respective marquee players.

Before the IPL 2025 auction, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) exercised the rule to retain the 43-year-old legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni. The current stand-in captain of CSK, Dhoni, retired from international cricket in 2019. Since then, he hasn't missed a single season of the IPL. Hence, the Super Kings franchise didn't want to let their best player go and used the uncapped player’s rule.

Dhoni was retained by CSK for INR 4 crore under the ‘Uncapped Player’ Rule. This allowed the franchise to have a big purse to make a new team and sign some more players for the future. Currently, Dhoni is leading CSK in the absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been ruled out of the entire tournament due to an elbow fracture.

Over the years, MS Dhoni has established himself as one of the greatest ever captains in the IPL. He has loads of experience playing in the league as he has been there since the inaugural edition way back in 2008. Dhoni is the joint-most successful captain in the IPL, having led CSK to a record five IPL titles as a captain.

Sandeep Sharma Retained by RR

Other than MS Dhoni, Sandeep Sharma was another player to be retained under the ‘Impact Player’ rule. The 31-year-old pacer from Punjab last played for India way back in 2015, which allowed Rajasthan Royals to retain him ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. As a result, Sandeep was retained for INR 4 crore in what was seen as a great move by the Royals.

Sandeep is highly underrated but has been an excellent player for RR. He bowls the tough overs with the new ball and the death, but still has proven to be difficult to put away by the opposition batters. Despite not having much pace, he has an excellent yorker and a slower ball, which makes him lethal at the death.

The Uncapped Player rule has been in place in the IPL since its inaugural edition in 2008. However, the rule was scrapped in 2021 by the IPL governing council. However, it was brought back again ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, which allowed the teams like CSK and Rajasthan Royals to retain two of their highly important players.