Hyderabad: The excitement for the 2025 IPL season continues to build as the deadline is looming closer with teams narrowing down their player retention lists, showcasing a mix of new talent, and veteran players. The IPL Governing Council has decided October 31 as the final date for franchises to submit their retained player lists. As the franchises fine-tune their strategies, big names like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are likely to continue with their teams, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), respectively.
Over a month after the IPL Governing Council revealed player regulations for the 2025-27 cycle, the BCCI allowed each team the flexibility to retain up to six players through either direct retention or the Right to Match (RTM) card. Teams can retain a maximum of five capped players, both Indian and overseas. The team can retain a maximum of two uncapped players, allowing franchises to build a strong, balanced core, but by investing a huge margin of their purse. Hence, retaining maximum players means the lesser the purse the franchise will take in the auction.
Here’s a closer look at each franchise’s probable retention choices ahead of the next season.
Gujarat Titans
The 2022 champions aim to retain a core group led by young stars:
Shubman Gill
Rashid Khan
Sai Sudarshan
Shahrukh Khan
Rahul Tewatia (likely using the Right to Match (RTM) option)
Lucknow Super Giants
In a surprising development, Lucknow Super Giants might release their captain, KL Rahul, allowing him to enter the auction pool. Hence, the retention list might look like:
Nicholas Pooran
Mayank Yadav
Ayush Badoni
Ravi Bishnoi (RTM)
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians, the most successful IPL team, look to retain a formidable lineup:
Rohit Sharma
Hardik Pandya
Jasprit Bumrah
Suryakumar Yadav
They might look to retain Nehal Wadhera or Akash Madhwal as uncapped players.
Chennai Super Kings
For CSK, the fans would want to see MS Dhoni playing at Chepauk again with former skipper having said he wants to enjoy whatever cricket has left in him. Hence, he is potential retained uncapped player, having not played international game in the last five years. Other probable retentions could be:
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ravindra Jadeja
Rachin Ravindra (possibly)
Matheesha Pathirana
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad aims to bring an international flair to their lineup, with potential below retentions:
Pat Cummins
Heinrich Klaasen
Abhishek Sharma
Travis Head
Abdul Samad
They might also look to retain experienced pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore will likely retain the stalwart Virat Kohli, who is likely to return at the helm after a gap of three years.
Will Jacks
Mohammed Siraj
Yash Dayal (conditional)
Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals are in a dilemma with Rishabh Pant, who reportedly wants to explore the auction pool. However, other core players who might get retained are:
Kuldeep Yadav
Axar Patel
Kolkata Knight Riders
Sunil Narine
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Rinku Singh
Harshit Rana
Negotiations with Shreyas Iyer are ongoing as KKR management assesses his position in the lineup.
Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings may opt for the RTM strategy rather than outright retention, with Arshdeep Singh as a probable standout. However, there is a huge possibility that they might retain a couple of uncapped players in the likes of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma.
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals have injury concerns around Jos Buttler, making his retention uncertain. Likely retentions include:
Sanju Samson
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Riyan Parag
Trent Boult
Joss Buttler
