IPL 2019: Full list of retained players by Rajasthan Royals and their salary

The past few weeks have been filled with headlines about the players who have been released from their squads ahead of the 2019 season of the Indian Premier League. There were a few surprise names which have been dropped and some big-name players who have not been retained by their franchises.

This does mean that we can expect the squads of each franchise to have a very different look once the 2019 IPL season does come around. With all the focus being on the players who have been released, little attention has been placed on the players who have been retained and how the squad of each franchise currently looks ahead of the IPL auction.

Let us take a look at the players whom the Rajasthan Royals have decided to keep as part of their squad for next year's season. While some players have been dropped, many veterans of the squad remain and will continue to form the core of the winning recipe which the Rajasthan Royals seem to have found.

Below is the full list of players which have been retained by the Rajasthan Royals as well as their salary:

Ben Stokes - ₹12.5 crore (US$1.7 million)

Steve Smith - ₹12 crore (US$1.7 million)[e]

Sanju Samson - ₹8 crore (US$1.1 million)

Jofra Archer - ₹7.2 crore (US$1.0 million)

Krishnappa Gowtham - ₹6.2 crore (US$862,705.20)

Jos Buttler - ₹4.4 crore (US$612,242.40)

Ajinkya Rahane - ₹4 crore (US$556,584.00)

Rahul Tripathi India ₹3.4 crore (US$473,096.40)

Dhawal Kulkarni - ₹75 lakh (US$104,359.50)

Ish Sodhi - ₹50 lakh (US$69,573.00)

Stuart Binny - ₹50 lakh (US$69,573.00)

Aryaman Birla - ₹30 lakh (US$41,743.80)

Mahipal Lomror - ₹20 lakh (US$27,829.20)

Prashant Chopra - ₹20 lakh (US$27,829.20)

Shreyas Gopal - ₹20 lakh (US$27,829.20)

Sudhesan Midhun - ₹20 lakh (US$27,829.20)

Writer's opinion:

The Rajasthan Royals have retained a highly talented squad of players, which has been strengthened by the return of Steven Smith. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises has been the inclusion of English all-rounder Ben Stokes, considering the poor season he had last year.