All 10 IPL franchises revealed their retention lists for the 2025 season on Thursday, October 31, setting the stage for the upcoming mega auction, likely to take place in the last week of November.
A total of 46 players have been retained, with some big names saying goodbye to their teams as they enter the auction pool. While a few franchises have splurged to secure their star players, others are opting for a fresh start with a complete rebuild.
As the excitement builds for the auction, we’ll be ranking all the teams based on their retention choices, from the strongest to the weakest.
#1 Mumbai Indians (MI)
After months of anticipation surrounding players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, fans can now rest assured—they’re staying with their team!
Mumbai Indians have retained a solid core of five 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). With these retentions, they still have ₹45 crore remaining from their ₹120 crore budget and hold one Right to Match (RTM) option to use in the upcoming auction.
After a tough 2024 season that saw them finish at the bottom of the standings, Mumbai is determined to bounce back. Hardik Pandya will continue to lead as captain, and in an exciting twist, Mahela Jayawardene will return as head coach, bringing his previous experience from 2017 to 2022. With this powerful lineup, Mumbai Indians are ready to chase their sixth title and make a strong comeback!
#2 SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH)
The Sunrisers Hyderabad, who made it to the finals in the 2024 season, are keeping their winning formula by retaining some of their top overseas stars, including captain Pat Cummins. The team has held onto five key players: Heinrich Klaasen (₹23 crore), Pat Cummins (₹18 crore), Abhishek Sharma (₹14 crore), Travis Head (₹14 crore), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (₹6 crore). Klaasen leads as the highest-paid retained player at ₹23 crore.
Promising young Indian talent Abhishek Sharma, who had a standout 2024 season, will remain with the team, along with the versatile all-rounder Nitish Reddy.
The franchise also has the flexibility to retain one uncapped player during the upcoming auction, positioning them well to shape the team around this strong core.
#3 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
The defending champions have shaken things up for the new season! In a surprising move, they’ve parted ways with their captain, Shreyas Iyer, who led them to an incredible win in the 2024 tournament.
KKR has also released Mitchell Starc, who made headlines as the tournament’s priciest player last year with a whopping ₹24.75 crore price tag.
But it’s not all changes—some fan favorites are here to stay! They’ve held onto key players like Rinku Singh and the dynamic Caribbean pair, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell.
In total, six players are staying with the team: 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).
#4 Rajasthan Royals (RR)
The Rajasthan Royals faced a tough choice this season with so many match-winning players on their roster. Deciding who to keep and who to let go was no easy feat. Surprisingly, they chose to release England’s white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, a decision that might turn a few heads given his impact on the team. However, the Royals are looking to build a future by focusing on young Indian talent.
Another big move is that seasoned players like Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin are headed for the mega auction, which should add an exciting twist to the team dynamics.
As for their retained players, the Royals have secured six key players, including Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both valued at ₹18 crore each. Alongside them are Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel, each kept at ₹14 crore, Shimron Hetmyer at ₹11 crore, and Sandeep Sharma at ₹4 crore. With ₹79 crore already invested, the Royals have ₹41 crore left to shape their squad around Sanju Samson’s leadership.
The Royals’ lineup is shaping up to be a thrilling mix of experience and promising young talent, and fans are eagerly watching to see how it all plays out!
#5 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans have plenty to cheer about as MS Dhoni is set to return for another season, bringing his leadership back to the field. CSK has chosen to retain a core group of five players, including the team captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, and the rising Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana.
Here’s the breakdown of the retained players and their contracts: Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja both at ₹18 crore, Matheesha Pathirana at ₹13 crore, Shivam Dube at ₹12 crore, and MS Dhoni at ₹4 crore.
However, CSK has released a few familiar faces, including New Zealand stars Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, along with Indian pacers Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, and Shardul Thakur.
CSK also has the option to bring back one player through the Right to Match (RTM) card, either capped or uncapped, which could be a valuable strategic move. With a solid ₹55 crore left in their budget, CSK seems well-prepared to make a splash in the upcoming auction and strengthen their squad even further.
#6 Gujarat Titans (GT)
The Gujarat Titans, IPL champions from 2022, are shaping up for the new season with some exciting retentions. They’ve held onto five key players, including Rashid Khan with a hefty ₹18 crore, rising star Shubman Gill at ₹16.50 crore, promising young Sai Sudharsan for ₹8.50 crore, and uncapped talents Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan, each at ₹4 crore.
In a strategic move, the Titans have shown their faith in local talent like Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan while letting experienced players like Mohammed Shami and David Miller go.
With a sizeable ₹69 crore still available in their budget, the management is now focused on building a competitive team around their captain, Shubman Gill, as they aim for another successful season.
#7 Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
One of the most talked-about moments of the 2024 season was the intense exchange between captain KL Rahul and Lucknow team owner Sanjiv Goenka. Following this incident, the franchise has decided to let go of Rahul after three seasons.
As they prepare for the upcoming season, the team has retained five key players. Among them are four talented Indian players—Ravi Bishnoi (₹11 crore), Mayank Yadav (₹11 crore), Mohsin Khan (₹4 crore), and Ayush Badoni (₹4 crore)—as well as the powerful batsman Nicholas Pooran, with a hefty contract of ₹21 crore.
There’s now anticipation about whether Pooran might step into a leadership role, or if the franchise will seek a new captain during the auction. Interestingly, Lucknow has also released well-known players like Marcus Stoinis, Quinton de Kock, and Krunal Pandya, signaling possible changes in their approach for the upcoming season.
#8 Delhi Capitals (DC)
Delhi Capitals are still searching for their first IPL title and have made some notable missteps in the past, like parting ways with players like AB de Villiers and Andre Russell. The latest blow to the franchise is the departure of Rishabh Pant, who will enter the mega auction.
The team has decided to retain four key players for the upcoming season: Axar Patel (₹16.50 crore), Kuldeep Yadav (₹13.25 crore), Tristan Stubbs (₹10 crore), and Abishek Porel (₹4 crore).
With a fresh coaching staff, including Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao, Delhi Capitals now have the crucial task of finding a new captain and shaping a team that can finally deliver that long-awaited IPL title.
#9 Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Despite having one of the most passionate fan bases, the Bengaluru-based team has yet to secure an IPL title. Year after year, they enter the auction with the need to rebuild, and the 2025 auction is no different.
In a surprising move, they’ve opted to release captain Faf du Plessis, mainly due to concerns about his availability in the coming years. They’ve also parted ways with key players like Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj.
On the flip side, RCB has chosen to retain just three players: Virat Kohli (₹21 crore), Rajat Patidar (₹11 crore), and Yash Dayal (₹5 crore).
Looking ahead, RCB will need to build their team around Virat Kohli, their most significant retention. This opens up the possibility that Kohli might take on the captaincy once again.
#10 Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Over the years, Punjab has consistently searched for new talent each season, hoping to turn their fortunes around. However, despite their efforts, they’ve not made it to the playoffs since 2014. For the upcoming season, the franchise has made a bold move by bringing in Ricky Ponting as their new head coach.
In terms of player changes, they’ve let go of some big names, including Arshdeep Singh, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, and Kagiso Rabada. The team has opted to retain two uncapped Indian players: Shashank Singh (₹5.5 crore) and Prabhsimran Singh (₹4 crore).
With a substantial budget of ₹110.5 crore still remaining, Punjab Kings will have four Right to Match (RTM) options for capped players during the auction.
Having kept only two uncapped players, PBKS now has the smallest roster and the largest available budget for the auction. This presents them with a significant opportunity to restructure their squad and appoint a new captain as they aim for a fresh start in IPL 2025
