IPL Full Retention List 2025: All You Need to Know

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.

IPL 2025 Retention Highlights

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.

Team-Wise Retention and Released Players

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

• 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.

Delhi Capitals (DC)

• 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.

Gujarat Titans (GT)

• 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.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

• 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.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

• 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.

Mumbai Indians (MI)

• 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.

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

• 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.

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

• 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.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

• 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.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

• 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.

Conclusion

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.

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Also Read: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Full Retention List for IPL 2025

Also Read: RCB Full Retention List for IPL 2025

Also Read: KKR Full Retention List for IPL 2025