Ahead of the 2025 mega auction, all IPL teams finalized their player retentions on October 31, sparking intense debate over which choices were wise and which were questionable. The Chennai Super Kings’ decision to keep MS Dhoni as an uncapped player for just INR 4 crore was the most startling. Among the well-known releases were Shreyas Iyer (KKR), Rishabh Pant (DC), and KL Rahul (LSG). For a total of INR 558.5 crore, 46 players were kept.
Teams like KKR and RR each kept six players, putting them at risk of having little flexibility at auction. Punjab Kings, meanwhile, have the most budget thanks to their careful retention approach, which puts them in a position to bid on well-known players like Pant, Rahul, and Iyer. Regarding the selections, fans are split, with many doubting some
3 Teams with worst retention in IPL 2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bangalore have retained only three players: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. Kohli was the obvious choice for RCB, but the decision to hand him the captaincy appeared to be a last-minute call. The franchise’s decision to retain Rajat Patidar for INR 11 crore could backfire, as RCB has a history of overspending on less impactful players. Similarly, Yash Dayal, who has been retained for INR 5 crore, may pose a challenge if he struggles with consistency in line and length, potentially delivering costly spells during the season.
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Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals’ retention choices have raised eyebrows. They decided not to retain Rishabh Pant, yet invested heavily in players like Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel. Finishing sixth in IPL 2024, DC needed to make significant changes to strengthen their squad. However, they retained only four players, spending Rs. 43.75 crore on Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abhishek Porel. Axar Patel, in particular, will need to step up, as he has yet to make a substantial impact on the team’s performance.
Abhishek Porel was retained by DC while released Australian opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who boasted an impressive strike rate of 234.04 in IPL 2024.
Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans have retained five players: Rashid Khan (Rs. 18 crore), Shubman Gill (Rs. 16.5 crore), Sai Sudharsan (Rs. 8.5 crore), Rahul Tewatia (Rs. 4 crore), and Shahrukh Khan (Rs. 4 crore). Surprisingly, GT released Mohammed Shami and David Miller but chose to keep Shahrukh Khan, who had an unremarkable IPL 2024 season. Rahul Tewatia’s retention was also unexpected, as he managed only 188 runs in 12 matches last season.
