As the anticipation builds for the IPL 2025 season, each franchise has made strategic decisions on which players will continue to wear their jerseys. These decisions weren’t made lightly; the dynamics of the retention process involved complex calculations around team needs, player form, and budget constraints. Teams faced the delicate task of balancing loyalty to long-time players with the demand for fresh talent.
The choices made now will majorly impact team chemistry, leadership structure, and overall competitiveness in the upcoming season. For the fans, the list of retained players provides insight into each franchise’s core strategy, as these players form the foundation for success in the gruelling IPL season ahead.
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Here is the list of players retained by all the 10 franchises ahead of IPL Mega Auction:
| Franchise | Players Retained | Total Retained Players | Purse Remaining | RTM Eligible Players |
| Mumbai Indians | Jasprit Bumrah (₹18 Cr), Suryakumar Yadav (₹16.35 Cr), Hardik Pandya (₹16.35 Cr), Rohit Sharma (₹16.30 Cr), Tilak Varma (₹8 Cr) | 5 | ₹55 Cr | 1 uncapped player |
| Chennai Super Kings | Ruturaj Gaikwad (₹18 Cr), Matheesha Pathirana (₹13 Cr), Shivam Dube (₹12 Cr), Ravindra Jadeja (₹18 Cr), MS Dhoni (₹4 Cr) | 5 | ₹55 Cr | 1 player |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | Virat Kohli (₹21 Cr), Rajat Patidar (₹11 Cr), Yash Dayal (₹5 Cr) | 3 | ₹83 Cr | 3 players |
| Delhi Capitals | Axar Patel (₹16.5 Cr), Kuldeep Yadav (₹13.25 Cr), Tristan Stubbs (₹10 Cr), Abhishek Porel (₹4 Cr) | 4 | ₹73 Cr | 3 players |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Rinku Singh (₹13 Cr), Varun Chakaravarthy (₹12 Cr), Sunil Narine (₹12 Cr), Andre Russell (₹12 Cr), Harshit Rana (₹4 Cr), Ramandeep Singh (₹4 Cr) | 6 | ₹51 Cr | NO |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Nicholas Pooran (₹21 Cr), Ravi Bishnoi (₹11 Cr), Mayank Yadav (₹11 Cr), Mohsin Khan (₹4 Cr), Ayush Badoni (₹4 Cr) | 5 | ₹69 Cr | 3 player |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Pat Cummins (₹18 Cr), Abhishek Sharma (₹14 Cr), Nitiesh Reddy (₹6 Cr), Heinrich Klaasen (₹23 Cr), Travis Head (₹14 Cr) | 5 | ₹45 Cr | 1 uncapped player |
| Gujarat Titans | Rashid Khan (₹18 Cr), Shubman Gill (₹16.5 Cr), Sai Sudharsan (₹8.5 Cr), Rahul Tewatia (₹4 Cr), Shahrukh Khan (₹4 Cr) | 5 | ₹69 Cr | 1 player |
| Punjab Kings | Shashank Singh (₹5.5 Cr), Prabhsimran Singh (₹4 Cr) | 2 | ₹110.5 Cr | 4 players |
| Rajasthan Royals | Sanju Samson (₹18 Cr), Yashasvi Jaiswal (₹18 Cr), Riyan Parag (₹14 Cr), Dhruv Jurel (₹14 Cr), Shimron Hetmyer (₹11 Cr), Sandeep Sharma (₹4 Cr) | 6 | ₹41 Cr | NO |
Retaining players secures continuity and establishes a sense of identity and loyalty within the squad, which can be instrumental when navigating the pressures of a mega event like the IPL.
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On the flip side, several high-profile players find themselves back in the pool, available for the upcoming auction after being released by their franchises. Notable names include prominent stars like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer, each of whom could significantly impact any franchise they join.
Here’s the list of star players entering the mega auction:
| Team | Purse Remaining | RTM Options | Released |
| Mumbai Indians | 55 crore | 1 (uncapped) | Dewald Brevis, Ishan Kishan, Tim David |
| Chennai Super Kings | 55 crore | 1 | Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 83 crore | 3 | Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Cameron Green |
| Delhi Capitals | 73 crore | 2 | Rishabh Pant, David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 51 crore | None | Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, Mitchell Starc, Jason Roy |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 69 crore | 1 | KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mark Wood |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 45 crore | 1 (uncapped) | Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, Umran Malik |
| Gujarat Titans | 69 crore | 1 | David Miller,Kane Williamson, Noor Ahmad, Sai Kishore, Mohit Sharma |
| Punjab Kings | 110.5 crore | 4 | Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone |
| Rajasthan Royals | 41 crore | None | Jos Buttler, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa |
These releases stir up excitement among the franchises that are eager to make power-packed bids, hoping to gain an edge by adding such impactful players to their rosters. With these names up for grabs, the bidding wars are bound to be intense, as teams will compete fiercely to bolster their lineups with proven talent.
The IPL 2025 retention guidelines allowed each franchise to retain up to five capped players, two uncapped players, and a maximum of six players in total. This cap on retention helps ensure a fair and competitive balance across teams by encouraging roster turnover and opportunities for new talent. Teams that chose to retain fewer players will benefit in two significant ways: they’ll have additional Right-to-Match (RTM) cards, enabling them to re-sign players they may have released, and a larger auction purse to splurge on coveted stars. These added advantages position them well to make bold moves in the mega auction, aiming for a well-rounded and formidable squad for IPL 2025.
