IPL 2025: A look at all players likely to be retained ahead of mega auction

New Delhi [India], October 31 (ANI): The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises retention list will be issued on Thursday and will be the starting point of the hype, spice and buzz that the cash-rich league brings every year.

With a lot of big names set to be retained and several youngsters to backed, there could be some names that could bid goodbyes to their respective franchises. Here is a look at likely retentions for some teams so far.

-Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

MS Dhoni is one of the five players set to be retained by the five-time champions alongside skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube and Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana. The amount paid for each player is not confirmed but the team is expected to lose Rs 65 crores from their overall purse of Rs 120 crores.

-Gujarat Titans (GT)

The 2022 champions are likely to retain Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, B Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan, leaving them with only one right-to-match (RTM) option for the mega auction, as per ESPNCricinfo.

-Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

The defending champions are set to retain all-rounder Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, pacer Harshit Rana and spinner Varun Chakravarthy. However, in a huge surprise, their title-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer and veteran all-rounder Andre Russell are unlikely to be retained.

-Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

The top retention for the franchise would be Nicholas Pooran, alongside pace sensation Mayank Yadav and spinner Ravi Bishnoi. In the uncapped category, pacer Mohsin Khan and batter Ayush Badoni are also set to be retained. KL Rahul, who has led the franchise since its inception in 2022, is unlikely to be retained.

-Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Skipper Sanju Samson, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, batter Riyan Parag, who had a breakout season at number four this year and pacer Sandeep Sharma are four players set to be retained by the franchise. However, as per ESPNCricinfo, star England opener Jos Buttler and India’s leading wicket-taker in the T20s, Yuzvendra Chahal, are not the part of the retention list.

-Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

South African hitter Heinrich Klaasen, who has made a name for himself in various T20 leagues worlwide, is set to be the top retention pick for SRH with Rs 23 crores.

Other retentions include Australia’s World Cup winning skipper Pat Cummins, who was the SRH captain last year, would get Rs 18 crores and Indian all-rounder Abhishek Sharma could get Rs 14 crores. Australian opener Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy as set to be final two capped retained stars ahead of the auction.

Thursday, October 31 is the deadline by which all the franchises are supposed to submit the list of their retained players ahead of the mega auction. Each team can retain six players, out of which maximum of five can be capped and two uncapped. This can be either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.

The auction purse for the franchises has been set at Rs 120 Crore for IPL 2025. The total salary cap will now consist of auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. Previously in 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + incremental performance pay) was Rs. 110 Crs which will now be Rs. 146 Crs (2025), Rs. 151 Crs (2026) and Rs. 157 Crs (2027). A match fee has been introduced for the first time in the history of IPL. Each Playing member (Including the Impact Player) will get a match fee of Rs 7.5 Lakhs per match. This will be in addition to his contracted amount.

The IPL’s governing body has set minimum deductions from the purse for each player retained, with Rs 18 crores for the first player, Rs 14 crores for the second, Rs 11 crores for the third, Rs 18 crores for the fourth, Rs 14 crores for the fifth and Rs 4 crores for an uncapped player. Franchises are free to give their players more or less of these amounts to the players retained by them.