The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction concluded on Monday (November 25) after two days of intense bidding wars among the 10 franchises to form solid squads ahead of the upcoming season.
A total of 182 players were sold as teams splurged big amounts on some of the superstars of the game across both days. Several players found new homes in different franchises after being released by their previous teams ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.
However, many key players returned to their franchises during the auction as teams used their Right-To-Match (RTM) cards to bring these players back into their squads. Among the 10 teams, some franchises made effective use of the RTM card at the auction.
That said, let us take a look at the top five best RTM usages made by teams at the IPL 2025 auction.
Ranking the 5 best RTM usages at IPL 2025 Auction
#5 Shamar Joseph (Lucknow Super Giants)
Lucknow Super Giants did not have a great IPL 2025 auction and have many questions to answer ahead of the season. However, they did manage to make some solid buys, which included getting West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph back via the RTM card for INR 75 lakh.
He does not have any numbers to show in the league as he did not get an opportunity to bowl last season. However, he has 19 wickets from 20 T20s. He is also the only foreign frontline pacer in the Lucknow squad for this season and will be expected to deliver with this pace and control.
#4 R Sai Kishore (Gujarat Titans)
Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore was brought back by the Gujarat Titans using the RTM card for INR 2 crore at the IPL 2025 auction.
Sai Kishore has played two seasons for Gujarat (2023 and 2024) and has put up decent performances, grabbing 13 wickets from 10 matches with an economy rate of 8.32. He has 75 wickets from 65 T20s and is a wicket-taking bowler.
The tall left-arm spinner brings variety to the spin attack. Gujarat Titans also purchased Washington Sundar. Therefore, with Sundar and Rashid Khan already present, Sai Kishore was the perfect choice to round up the spin unit.
#3 Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi Capitals)
Delhi Capitals bought back explosive opening batter Jake Fraser-McGurk at the auction for INR 9 crore using the RTM option. The young Australian batter has established his reputation as a hard hitter at the top of the innings and can decimate any bowling attack upfront.
Last season, he smashed 330 runs from just nine innings for the Delhi Capitals at an impressive strike-rate of 234.04, which also included four half-centuries. He has solid numbers in T20s, scoring 1169 runs from 60 matches with a strike-rate of 152.41.
Jake Fraser-McGurk is among the best RTM usages as he will continue to be a vital cog in the Delhi Capitals batting line-up in the upcoming season.
#2 Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings)
The release of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh by the Punjab Kings came as a bit of a shocker ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. However, getting him back via the RTM option was a no-brainer.
Punjab bought their premier pacer back for INR 18 crore. He was among the leading wicket-takers last season with 19 scalps from 14 games. Over the last couple of seasons, he has been a consistent wicket-taker for Punjab.
Moreover, Arshdeep has only grown in stature and experience, proving his worth for India on the international stage as well with some impressive performances. He will undoubtedly continue to be their lead pacer.
#1 Rachin Ravindra (Chennai Super Kings)
Five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings bought back Kiwi Rachin Ravindra for just INR 4 crore using the RTM card, which is among the steal deals at the recently concluded auction.
He was among their top performers last season, scoring 222 runs from just 10 innings with a strike-rate of 160.86. While he did not bowl much, he always remains a handy option with the ball if needed.
Chennai Super Kings are among the teams known to retain a large part of their core players and they have done so this time around as well by bringing Rachin Ravindra back. Along with Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top, the duo will continue to be a formidable opening pair.
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