The anticipation for the 2025 IPL season is heating up as all ten franchises have revealed their player retention lists before the highly anticipated mega auction later this year. During a special IPL Retention event, teams disclosed which players will remain with them and highlighted some significant names set to enter the auction.
Heinrich Klaasen emerged as the highest-paid retained player, with Sunrisers Hyderabad securing his services for ₹23 crore. Following closely are Virat Kohli and Nicholas Pooran, retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants for ₹21 crore each.
In a surprising turn, Delhi Capitals released star player Rishabh Pant, alongside KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, all of whom are now seeking new teams. Notable overseas players like Jos Buttler and Glenn Maxwell are also available for bidding.
Among the franchises, Punjab Kings retained the fewest players, preparing for the auction with a budget of ₹110.5 crore—the highest in this cycle. RCB will enter the auction with ₹83 crore after retaining just three players, while Delhi Capitals will have ₹73 crore under their new leadership. Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, with six retained players each, will have ₹41 crore to spend at the auction without any Right to Match (RTM) options.
With a wealth of talent—both domestic and international—heading into the auction, the upcoming event promises to be thrilling.
Retention Lists by Franchise
Mumbai Indians (5 Retained Players):
Jasprit Bumrah: ₹18 crore
Suryakumar Yadav: ₹16.35 crore
Hardik Pandya: ₹16.35 crore
Rohit Sharma: ₹16.30 crore
Tilak Varma: ₹8 crore
Chennai Super Kings (5 Retained Players):
Ruturaj Gaikwad: ₹18 crore
Matheesha Pathirana: ₹13 crore
Shivam Dube: ₹12 crore
Ravindra Jadeja: ₹18 crore
MS Dhoni: ₹4 crore
Royal Challengers Bangalore (3 Retained Players):
Virat Kohli: ₹21 crore
Rajat Patidar: ₹11 crore
Yash Dayal: ₹5 crore
Delhi Capitals (4 Retained Players):
Axar Patel: ₹16.5 crore
Kuldeep Yadav: ₹13.25 crore
Tristan Stubbs: ₹10 crore
Abhishek Porel: ₹4 crore
Kolkata Knight Riders (6 Retained Players):
Rinku Singh: ₹13 crore
Varun Chakaravarthy: ₹12 crore
Sunil Narine: ₹12 crore
Andre Russell: ₹12 crore
Harshit Rana: ₹4 crore
Ramandeep Singh: ₹4 crore
Lucknow Super Giants (5 Retained Players):
Nicholas Pooran: ₹21 crore
Ravi Bishnoi: ₹11 crore
Mayank Yadav: ₹11 crore
Mohsin Khan: ₹4 crore
Ayush Badoni: ₹4 crore
Sunrisers Hyderabad (5 Retained Players):
Pat Cummins: ₹18 crore
Abhishek Sharma: ₹14 crore
Nitiesh Reddy: ₹6 crore
Heinrich Klaasen: ₹23 crore
Travis Head: ₹14 crore
Gujarat Titans (5 Retained Players):
Rashid Khan: ₹18 crore
Shubman Gill: ₹16.5 crore
Sai Sudharsan: ₹8.5 crore
Rahul Tewatia: ₹4 crore
Shahrukh Khan: ₹4 crore
Punjab Kings (2 Retained Players):
Shashank Singh: ₹5.5 crore
Prabhsimran Singh: ₹4 crore
Rajasthan Royals (6 Retained Players):
Sanju Samson: ₹18 crore
Yashasvi Jaiswal: ₹18 crore
Riyan Parag: ₹14 crore
Dhruv Jurel: ₹14 crore
Shimron Hetmyer: ₹11 crore
Sandeep Sharma: ₹4 crore
As teams prepare for the auction, the stage is set for an exciting season ahead.
