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Before to the 2025 mega-auction, all Indian Premier League (IPL) teams finalised their player retentions on October 31. Many players made the cut, but some well-known names were left off the list, thus the announcement became a talking point.
The decision by Chennai Super Kings to keep MS Dhoni as an uncapped player for under INR 4 million was the most unexpected move. KL Rahul from the Lucknow Super Giants, Rishabh Pant from the Delhi Capitals, and Shreyas Iyer from the Kolkata Knight Riders were among the notable departures. Some clubs may have overspent their budgets because 46 players were kept across 10 teams for an incredible INR 558.5 crore.
Their flexibility in the auction may be limited by KKR and RR’s aggressive strategy of keeping six players each. These teams may find it difficult to assemble a well-rounded roster given the INR 120 crore salary cap for a 25-man squad. On the other hand, Punjab Kings would receive the biggest auction prize due to their cautious strategy of keeping only two players. Teams will compete for released talents like Pant, Rahul, and Iyer in the upcoming major auction, thus this might be crucial.
Meanwhile, a lot of supporters are also angry with certain decisions their favourite teams have made about retention.
Also Read: 3 teams that might target Rishabh Pant in IPL 2025
While some remained within their core groups, others selected their participants in some intriguing ways. These are the IPL 2025’s top five retentions.
Here are the five worst retentions by franchises before the IPL 2025 mega auction:
1. Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals – INR 11 Crore):
The Rajasthan Royals also made a significant decision by keeping West Indies power hitter Shimron Hetmyer in their lineup even though they had international players like Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jos Buttler.
The Caribbean left-hander has contributed significantly to Rajasthan’s recent success, amassing 1,244 runs at a strike rate of 153.20 in 72 IPL games. With a 2022 finals appearance and a third-place finish in 2024 (winning eight of 14 games before losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2), the Royals’ faith in Hetmyer demonstrates their long-term vision.
The choice to keep Hetmyer over other seasoned T20 specialists has generated debate among experts, as they still have INR 41 crore in their pay ceiling and 19 spots to fill, including 7 jobs abroad. But it appears that the Royals’ management appreciates the 26-year-old’s explosive batting and game-winning powers.
Disclaimer: This material is solely meant to be entertaining and educational. The IPL and its franchisees do not officially endorse the opinions expressed. does not intend to damage any player’s or team’s reputation, nor does it give any unfavourable endorsements.
2. Dhruv Jurel (Rajasthan Royals – INR 14 Crore):
In a daring move, the Rajasthan Royals retained uncapped batsman-wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel for an incredible INR 14 crore prior to the 2025 Indian Premier League. Given the franchise’s choice to let go of franchise mainstays like Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jos Buttler, the move was unexpected.
Even though Jurel has some faith in lower middle order problems, his figures don’t fully support the high cost. The Royals see something more in the young goalie than just numbers, as seen by their decision to keep him at this price range.
Jurel has joined Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag in the franchise’s ambitious long-term ambition, which has placed a high priority on youth. They have already committed INR 79 crore of their purse, along with skipper Sanju Samson (INR 18 crore) and influential player Shimron Hetmyer (INR 11 crore) from Cuba. Now that there are 19 spots left to fill and INR 41 crore left, Jurel is under pressure to live up to this audacious investment.
3. Abishek Porel (Delhi Capitals – 4 Crore)
The 2020 season runners-up, the Delhi Capitals, released a number of veteran players in advance of the 2025 IPL mega auction, demonstrating their faith in uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Abhishek Porel. Jake Fraser-McGurk, an aggressive Australian opener with an excellent strike rate of 234.04 in the 2024 Indian Premier League, left, making the choice to go with Porel even more unexpected.
Due to the young Bengal keeper’s retention, the team is cutting ties with Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh, and David Warner. The DC administration was convinced by the southpaw’s potential by his steady performance in the previous season, which included 360 runs in 18 games.
This puts the franchise in an excellent position ahead of the major auction, with INR 73 crore still in their purse. The Capitals are also ending their nine-year relationship with their former leader Rishabh Pant, which might mean that Porel is given the go-ahead to take over as wicketkeeper.
4. Yash Dayal (Royal Challengers Bengaluru – INR 5 Crore)
For INR 5 crore, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) decided to keep fast bowler Yash Dayal for the 2025 IPL season. In light of the franchise’s release of favourites like Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell, and Faf du Plessis, this decision garnered media attention. Considering that the previous edition’s roster included a number of well-known players, the 2016 finalist’s choice to select Dayal over their star bowler Siraj received criticism from all quarters.
In the lucrative league, the left-arm pacer’s career has been quite the ride thus far. He was heavily criticised after Rinku Singh hit him for five straight sixes in the 2023 Indian Premier League, and many believed his career would never be able to bounce back. His breakthrough came in the 2024 season, though, when RCB trusted the left-arm pacer, especially in a pivotal game against the Chennai Super Kings.
Prior to the mega-auction, the team has selected Dayal, Virat Kohli (INR 21 crore), and Rajat Patidar (INR 11 crore) as they return to the pitch to try to win their first IPL championship.
5. Prabhsimran Singh (Punjab KIngs – INR 4 Crore):
One of the most unexpected acquisitions was made by the Punjab Kings, who paid INR 4 crore to acquire wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh before to the major auction. The choice caused some controversy because the team let go of a number of top players, including Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh. The fans weren’t very fond of the squad that chose to be conservative because so many teams chose to pay players large sums of money.
The fact that Punjab kept Prabhsimran after he scored 756 runs with a strike rate of 146.23 in 32 games demonstrates their belief in the young player. With just Prabhsimran and Shashank Singh (INR 5.5 Crore), two uncapped players, remaining,
PBKS appears to be adopting a new strategy under new head coach Ricky Ponting. With INR 110.5 crore, the largest auction purse ever, they could pull off a brilliant move or a huge bet.
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