IPL 2025: Final List of Players Retained by Franchises
Here’s the final list of players retained by each of the ten IPL franchises ahead of the upcoming mega auction for the 2025 season.
Mumbai Indians
5 players retained: Jasprit Bumrah (INR 18 crore), Suryakumar Yadav (INR 16.35 crore), Hardik Pandya (INR 16.35 crore), Rohit Sharma (INR 16.30 crore), Tilak Varma (INR 8 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 45 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: 1
Players eligible for RTM: One uncapped player
Big players not retained: Ishan Kishan, Tim David
Top takeaways: Hardik has been named MI captain for IPL 2025, while Jasprit Bumrah has become MI’s top paid retention for the first time. The big challenge for MI was to retain their marquee Indian players within the INR 75 crore and they have managed to do that and keep their core intact heading into the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
5 players retained: Heinrich Klaasen (INR 23 crore), Pat Cummins (INR 18 crore), Abhishek Sharma (INR 14 crore), Travis Head (INR 14 crore), Nitish Kumar Reddy (INR 6 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 45 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: 1
Players eligible for RTM: Only one uncapped player
Big players not retained: Washington Sundar, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Top takeaways: Heinrich Klaasen is the most expensive player retained at INR 23 crore, ahead of Virat Kohli and Nicholas Pooran at INR 21 crore each. SRH have retained three overseas players, the most among the ten teams.
Chennai Super Kings
5 players retained: Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 18 crore), Ravindra Jadeja (INR 18 crore), Matheesha Pathirana (INR 13 crore), Shivam Dube (INR 12 crore), MS Dhoni (INR 4 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 55 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: 1
Players eligible for RTM: One capped or uncapped player
Big players not retained: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Mahesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande
Top takeaways: Dhoni retained as an uncapped player at a cost of only INR 4 crore from CSK’s purse. This is because the IPL revived a rule that allows an Indian player who hasn’t played international cricket for five years to be considered as an uncapped player.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
3 players retained: Virat Kohli (INR 21 crore), Rajat Patidar (INR 11 crore), Yash Dayal (INR 5 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 83 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: 3
Players eligible for RTM: One uncapped player and two capped players, or three capped players
Big players not retained: Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, Cameron Green
Top takeaways: RCB have retained only three players, the second fewest among the team teams after Punjab Kings. Virat Kohli is the top retention, which raises the question of whether he will return as captain.
Delhi Capitals
4 players retained: Axar Patel (INR 16.50 crore), Kuldeep Yadav (INR 13.25 crore), Tristan Stubbs (INR 10 crore), Abishek Porel (INR 4 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 73 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: 2
Players eligible for RTM: One uncapped player and one capped player, or two capped players
Big players not retained: Rishabh Pant, David Warner, Anrich Nortje
Top takeaways: Rishabh Pant was not retained by DC, which means they need a new captain for IPL 2025, unless they buy him back at the auction and make him captain, which appears unlikely. DC are paying their capped retained players – Axar, Kuldeep and Stubbs – a total of INR 43.75 crore, which is less than the aggregate deduction from their purse (INR 47 crore).
Kolkata Knight Riders
6 players retained: Rinku Singh (INR 13 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (INR 12 crore), Sunil Narine (INR 12 crore), Andre Russell (INR 12 crore), Harshit Rana (INR 4 crore), Ramandeep Singh (INR 4 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 51 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: None
Players eligible for RTM: None
Big players not retained: Shreyas Iyer, Mitchell Starc, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana
Top takeaways: Russell emerged as a late confirmation for KKR, and Rinku Singh has become their top retention for the first time. They have not retained their title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer and the most expensive player ever in IPL history, Mitchell Starc. KKR are one of two teams – along with Rajasthan Royals – to have retained the maximum of six players, but have paid only INR 57 crore for them, while the amount deducted from the purse is INR 69 crore.
Rajasthan Royals
6 players retained: Sanju Samson (INR 18 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (INR 18 crore), Riyan Parag (INR 14 crore), Dhruv Jurel (INR 14 crore), Shimron Hetmyer (INR 11 crore), Sandeep Sharma (INR 4 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 41 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: None
Players eligible for RTM: NA
Big players not retained: Yuzvendra Chahal, Jos Buttler, R Ashwin
Top takeaways: RR have gone batting heavy with their retentions, keeping five batters and only one bowler. They are one of two teams – KKR being the other – to retain the maximum of six players. Jurel gets a massive boost with a retention price tag of INR 14 crore.
Gujarat Titans
5 players retained: Rashid Khan (INR 18 crore), Shubman Gill (INR 16.50 crore), Sai Sudharsan (INR 8.50 crore), Rahul Tewatia (INR 4 crore), Shahrukh Khan (INR 4 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 69 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: One
Players eligible for RTM: One capped player
Big players not retained: Mohammed Shami, David Miller
Top takeaways: With Mohammed Shami sidelined by injury for a prolonged period, GT have no fast bowlers among the five players they have retained.
Lucknow Super Giants
5 players retained: Nicholas Pooran (INR 21 crore), Ravi Bishnoi (INR 11 crore), Mayank Yadav (INR 11 crore), Mohsin Khan (INR 4 crore), Ayush Badoni (INR 4 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 69 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: 1
Players eligible for RTM: One capped player
Big players not retained: KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Quinton de Kock, Krunal Pandya
Top takeaways: LSG will need to name a new captain for IPL 2025 after not retaining KL Rahul. Pooran is the second-most expensive retention along with Kohli, after Klaasen at INR 23 crore.
Punjab Kings
2 players retained: Shashank Singh (INR 5.5 crore), Prabhsimran Singh (INR 4 crore)
Purse remaining for auction: INR 110.5 crore (out of INR 120 crore)
Right-to-match (RTM) options at auction: 4
Players eligible for RTM: Four capped players
Big players not retained: Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada
Top takeaways: PBKS have retained the fewest players – two, both uncapped – and therefore have the largest purse at the auction. They will need a new captain and pretty much an entire squad for IPL 2025.
Ller, Hardik Pandya
Top takeaways: Rashid Khan remains a linchpin for the Gujarat Titans, retaining his place as one of the top-paid players in the league. The Titans have left their squad with a strong core and plenty of budget flexibility heading into the auction. They have showcased a balanced team with a mix of established stars and emerging talents.
Summary of IPL Teams’ Retentions for 2025
- Mumbai Indians: Retained 5 players including Hardik Pandya (INR 16.35 crore) and Rohit Sharma (INR 16.30 crore). Remaining purse: INR 45 crore.
- Sunrisers Hyderabad: Retained 5 players with Heinrich Klaasen being the most expensive at INR 23 crore. Remaining purse: INR 45 crore.
- Chennai Super Kings: Retained 5 players, with MS Dhoni at an interesting price of INR 4 crore. Remaining purse: INR 55 crore.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Retained only 3 players, including Virat Kohli at INR 21 crore. Remaining purse: INR 83 crore.
- Delhi Capitals: Retained 4 players, with big names like Rishabh Pant not retained. Remaining purse: INR 73 crore.
- Kolkata Knight Riders: Retained 6 players, top retention being Rinku Singh at INR 13 crore. Remaining purse: INR 51 crore.
- Rajasthan Royals: Also retained 6 players, focusing primarily on batting strength. Remaining purse: INR 41 crore.
- Gujarat Titans: Retained 5 players, including Rashid Khan at INR 18 crore, and have a healthy remaining budget of INR 69 crore.
Key Highlights
- Overall Trends: Teams are balancing their retentions between experienced stars and younger players, ensuring a mix in their core groups. The strategy varies from team to team, as some opt for strong batting orders while others prioritize all-rounders and bowlers.
- High-Value Retentions: Players such as Heinrich Klaasen and Rashid Khan continue to command high prices, demonstrating their value in the league.
- Player Movements: Not retaining big names like Rishabh Pant and Glenn Maxwell points to strategic shifts within several franchises as they look to rebuild or strengthen their squads ahead of the upcoming auction.
As teams prepare for the IPL 2025 mega auction, they will be looking to capitalize on the purse left while addressing their specific needs based on these retention decisions.