All 10 Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises announced their retention lists for the upcoming 2025 season on Thursday, October 31. This allows management to strategize for the auction, which will likely be held in the last week of November.
Forty-six players were retained across the teams, with several big names departing their franchises to enter the mega auction. While some teams have spent significantly to keep their star players, others focus on a complete rebuild.
As fans look forward to the upcoming mega auction, we will rank all the teams from best to worst in terms of their retention choices.
#10 Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Over the years, Punjab have repeatedly sought new players each season to turn their fortunes around, but they haven’t qualified for the playoffs since 2014. For the upcoming season, they have brought in Ricky Ponting as their head coach.
They have let go of several prominent names (Arshdeep Singh, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, and Kagiso Rabada) and retained only two uncapped Indian players: Shashank Singh (₹5.5 crore) and Prabhsimran Singh (₹4 crore).
With a remaining budget of ₹110.5 crore, they will have four Right to Match (RTM) options for capped players available at the auction.
Having retained just two uncapped players, PBKS have the smallest roster and the largest budget for the auction. They will need to appoint a new captain and effectively rebuild their squad for IPL 2025.
#9 Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Despite having one of the most dedicated fan bases, the Bengaluru-based franchise has yet to clinch an IPL title. The team frequently enter the auction needing to rebuild, and the 2025 auction will be no exception.
They have decided to release captain Faf du Plessis, considering his availability over the next three years. Additionally, they've let go of notable players like Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj.
The franchise has retained only three players: Virat Kohli (₹21 crore), Rajat Patidar (₹11 crore), and Yash Dayal (₹5 crore).
RCB will need to construct their team around Virat Kohli, their top retention, which raises the possibility of him resuming the captaincy role.
#8 Delhi Capitals (DC)
Delhi Capitals is one of the franchises yet to secure an IPL title and has a history of making significant missteps in player releases, such as letting go of AB de Villiers and Andre Russell. The latest addition to this list is Rishabh Pant, who has parted ways with the franchise and will enter the mega auction.
They have retained four players: Axar Patel (₹16.50 crore), Kuldeep Yadav (₹13.25 crore), Tristan Stubbs (₹10 crore), and Abishek Porel (₹4 crore).
With a new coaching staff, including Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao, the team now has the responsibility of finding a captain and building a winning squad.
#7 Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
One of the highlights of the 2024 season was the heated exchange between skipper KL Rahul and Lucknow owner Sanjiv Goenka. This situation has culminated in Rahul being released by the franchise after three seasons.
The franchise has retained five players, including four Indians: Nicholas Pooran (₹21 crore), Ravi Bishnoi (₹11 crore), Mayank Yadav (₹11 crore), Mohsin Khan (₹4 crore), and Ayush Badoni (₹4 crore).
It will be interesting to see whether Pooran takes on a captaincy role or LSG opt for a different candidate in the auction. Meanwhile, they have also released notable players like Marcus Stoinis, Quinton de Kock, and Krunal Pandya.
#6 Gujarat Titans (GT)
The 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans, have retained five players: Rashid Khan (₹18 crore), Shubman Gill (₹16.50 crore), Sai Sudharsan (₹8.50 crore), Rahul Tewatia (₹4 crore), and Shahrukh Khan (₹4 crore).
They have focused on local talent, including uncapped players Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan. However, they released the likes of Mohammed Shami and David Miller.
With ₹69 crore remaining in their budget, the management will have the task of building a strong team around skipper Shubman Gill.
#5 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
In exciting news for Chennai fans, MS Dhoni will return for another season. CSK have retained five players, including their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sri Lankan pace sensation Matheesha Pathirana.
The retained players are Ruturaj Gaikwad (₹18 crore), Ravindra Jadeja (₹18 crore), Matheesha Pathirana (₹13 crore), Shivam Dube (₹12 crore), and MS Dhoni (₹4 crore).
The franchise has released the New Zealand duo of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, along with Indian pacers Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, and Shardul Thakur.
CSK have one capped or uncapped player eligible for the Right to Match (RTM). Overall, they navigated the retention process well and will be eager to acquire some big names with their remaining budget of ₹55 crore.
#4 Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Rajasthan Royals had several match-winning players in their squad, making it challenging to decide whom to retain and whom to release. One major player released by the franchise is England white-ball captain Jos Buttler. Despite being a key player for the team, they opted to focus on retaining young Indian talent instead.
Other notable players entering the mega auction include Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin.
The Royals have retained six players: Sanju Samson (₹18 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (₹18 crore), Riyan Parag (₹14 crore), Dhruv Jurel (₹14 crore), Shimron Hetmyer (₹11 crore), and Sandeep Sharma (₹4 crore).
They have spent ₹79 crore so far, leaving them with ₹41 crore to build their team around Sanju Samson.
#3 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
The defending champions have made significant decisions in their retention strategy, notably releasing skipper Shreyas Iyer, who led them to victory in the 2024 edition.
KKR have also let go of Mitchell Starc, who became the most expensive player in the tournament's history when purchased by the franchise for ₹24.75 crore in 2024.
Despite these changes, they have successfully retained key players, including Rinku Singh and the Caribbean duo of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell.
Overall, they have retained six players: Rinku Singh (₹13 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (₹12 crore), Sunil Narine (₹12 crore), Andre Russell (₹12 crore), Harshit Rana (₹4 crore), and Ramandeep Singh (₹4 crore).
#2 SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH)
The 2024 season runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad, have preserved their core balance by retaining three of their top overseas players, including captain Pat Cummins.
They have kept five players: Heinrich Klaasen (₹23 crore), Pat Cummins (₹18 crore), Abhishek Sharma (₹14 crore), Travis Head (₹14 crore), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (₹6 crore).
Klaasen stands out as the most expensive retained player at ₹23 crore. Meanwhile, young Indian talent Abhishek Sharma, who had a breakout season in the 2024 edition, will stay with the franchise along with all-rounder Nitish Reddy.
They also have the option to retain one uncapped player during the auction. The Hyderabad-based franchise has effectively retained their key players and will aim to build their squad around this solid foundation.
#1 Mumbai Indians (MI)
After months of speculation about the futures of big names like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, it has been confirmed that they will remain with their franchise.
Mumbai has retained five core players: Jasprit Bumrah (₹18 crore), Suryakumar Yadav (₹16.35 crore), Hardik Pandya (₹16.35 crore), Rohit Sharma (₹16.30 crore), and Tilak Varma (₹8 crore). They have ₹45 crore left from their total budget of ₹120 crore, along with one Right to Match (RTM) option available for the auction.
The Mumbai Indians had a disappointing 2024 season, finishing at the bottom of the table. Hardik Pandya will continue as captain, and Mahela Jayawardene, who coached the team from 2017 to 2022, will return to replace Mark Boucher. With a strong lineup of key players, Mumbai will look to secure their sixth title.
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