IPL 2025 Retention: Rules explained, likely players retained by all 10 teams and more

Excitement is building for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season as teams finalize their player retention lists ahead of the October 31 deadline set by the IPL Governing Council. 

IPL 2025 Retention Rules: 

Franchises can retain up to six players from their 2024 squads, including a maximum of five capped players and two uncapped Indian players. 

The retention costs are as follows:

₹18 crore for the first capped player 

₹14 crore for the second 

₹11 crore for the third

₹4 crore for each uncapped player

There is no limit on retaining overseas players, but the deduction rules apply similarly to capped players. Uncapped players are those who haven't debuted for their national team or lack recent international appearances. Each franchise begins with a purse of ₹120 crore, making strategic management essential. Teams retaining fewer than six players can utilize Right-To-Match (RTM) cards during the auction to reacquire players. 

Notably, some capped Indian players who haven't played internationally recently can be classified as uncapped, allowing teams like CSK to retain MS Dhoni at a lower cost.

Players can also refuse retention offers and enter the mega auction, impacting team dynamics. While a specific date for the IPL 2025 mega auction hasn't been announced, it is expected to take place in late November, fueling anticipation for strategic bidding wars.

Here’s a look at each franchise's probable retention choices ahead of the next season:

Gujarat Titans (GT):

Retain: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudarshan, Shahrukh Khan

RTM: Rahul Tewatia

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG):

Retain: Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni

RTM: Ravi Bishnoi

Mumbai Indians (MI):

Retain: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav

RTM: Tilak Varma

Chennai Super Kings (CSK):

Retain: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana

RTM: Rachin Ravindra

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH):

Retain: Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head

RTM: Abdul Samad

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB):

Retain: Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Rajat Patidar

RTM: Yash Dayal

Delhi Capitals (DC):

Retain: Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs

RTM: Khaleel Ahmed, Abishek Porel

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR):

Retain: Sunil Narine, Rahmaah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana

RTM: Venkatesh Iyer

Punjab Kings (PBKS):

Retain: Arshdeep Singh 

RTM: Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma

Rajasthan Royals (RR):

Retain: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag

RTM: Yuzvendra Chahal, Shimron Hetmyer

Doubtful players to be retained:

Reports indicate that Shreyas Iyer is expected to be retained by the defending champions KKR. For RCB, their current skipper Faf du Plessis has turned 40, and despite his impressive fitness at this age, the franchise may be considering their options for a long-term captaincy solution.

Meanwhile, talking about LSG, KL Rahul is no longer the team's standout star, which could signal his potential departure from the franchise.

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