As the Indian Premier League (IPL) gears up for the 2025 season, each team has finalized its retention list ahead of the highly anticipated mega auction. With retention rules allowing teams to retain up to six players, including five capped players and two uncapped players, franchises have carefully crafted their lists to maintain a strong core while also balancing resources for the upcoming auction. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the retention lists and notable changes from each team.
This year’s retention list reveals a mix of retained veterans and fresh talent, with some surprising releases of big names. Players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen, and Nicholas Pooran have been retained by their respective franchises. However, high-profile players such as Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Mitchell Starc, and KL Rahul were released, setting the stage for an intense bidding war at the mega auction.
Retained Players: MS Dhoni (uncapped), Matheesha Pathirana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube
Released Players: Ajinkya Rahane, Deepak Chahar, Moeen Ali, Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway, Shardul Thakur, and more.
Summary: CSK retained a solid core with Dhoni’s leadership and young talents like Gaikwad and Pathirana. Notably, Moeen Ali and Deepak Chahar’s releases were unexpected but may return via Right-to-Match (RTM) options.
Retained Players: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel
Released Players: Rishabh Pant, David Warner (retired), Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh, Prithvi Shaw, and more.
Summary: DC made a surprising decision to release Pant and Warner. With several key players going into the auction pool, DC may focus on rebuilding during the auction.
Retained Players: Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan
Released Players: David Miller, Kane Williamson, Wriddhiman Saha, Mohammad Shami, and more.
Summary: Gujarat has focused on retaining its emerging stars and key all-rounders like Tewatia, while experienced players such as Williamson and Miller were released, likely to create a strong auction strategy.
Retained Players: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana
Released Players: Shreyas Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, and more.
Summary: KKR retained their core all-rounders and mystery spinners but released Shreyas Iyer, opening a captaincy gap they’ll likely address during the auction.
Retained Players: Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni
Released Players: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, and more.
Summary: In a bold move, LSG released former captain KL Rahul along with Stoinis and de Kock, signaling a shift towards new talent for the 2025 season.
Retained Players: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah
Released Players: Ishan Kishan, Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Piyush Chawla, and more.
Summary: Mumbai retained a powerful core with Rohit, Bumrah, and Pandya, ensuring depth in batting and bowling. They released Ishan Kishan and Tim David, providing them flexibility for strategic auction buys.
Retained Players: Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh (uncapped)
Released Players: Shikhar Dhawan (retired), Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, and more.
Summary: Punjab Kings have the highest auction flexibility with only two retained players, Prabhsimran and Shashank. Expect aggressive bidding from PBKS to strengthen their squad.
Retained Players: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel
Released Players: Jos Buttler, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and more.
Summary: Rajasthan retained Samson and Jaiswal but made unexpected releases, including key international players like Buttler and Boult, opening up opportunities for fresh acquisitions.
Retained Players: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal
Released Players: Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Cameron Green, and more.
Summary: RCB retained their top batsman Kohli and released Faf du Plessis, their previous captain. Expect RCB to pursue strong leadership options and all-rounders in the auction.
Retained Players: Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Nitish Kumar Reddy
Released Players: Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, and more.
Summary: SRH retained a versatile group of players, focusing on Abhishek Sharma’s all-round abilities and international stars like Cummins, while releasing Markram and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The IPL 2025 retention list reflects strategic decisions by each team, balancing core players with flexibility for the upcoming auction. Big names entering the auction, like KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer, are sure to spark intense bidding. Each franchise is poised to build a strong lineup with a mix of retained stars and fresh talents from the auction.
How many players could each team retain for IPL 2025?
Each team could retain up to six players, including a maximum of five capped players and two uncapped players.
Which prominent players were released ahead of the IPL 2025 auction?
Big names like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Faf du Plessis, KL Rahul, and Jos Buttler were released, adding excitement to the auction pool.
Are there Right-to-Match (RTM) options available in IPL 2025?
Yes, teams that retained fewer players will have more RTM options during the mega auction, allowing them to reacquire released players by matching the highest bid.
