The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega-auction is just around the corner, and teams are looking to fill gaps after naming their retentions. However, Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) decision to release England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler has left most of the people stunned. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned the “logic” behind this move, especially considering Buttler’s impressive track record with the Royals.
Did RR make a mistake by releasing Buttler?
Buttler, who has been in good touch recently, scoring 83 off 45 balls in the 2nd T20I against West Indies, will now be up for grabs in the auction. His release has raised eyebrows, given his remarkable performance for the Royals over the years. In 82 innings, Buttler amassed 3,055 runs at an average of 41.84 and a strike rate of 147.79, including 18 half-centuries and seven centuries.
Chopra pointed out that Buttler’s ability to win matches even when not in peak form made his release surprising. “Whenever Jos does well, he wins the match,” Chopra noted. The decision to retain West Indies finisher Shimron Hetmyer over Buttler has sparked debate, with many questioning the logic behind this move.
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Akash Chopra on RR Retention
“I admit that Jos Buttler’s last two years haven’t been that good but when he played badly, he scored two centuries, and both in winning causes. Whenever Jos does well, he wins the match, but they let him go. It seems like Jos is their global brand ambassador. He plays for them for the Paarl Royals as well. So you assumed this partnership would continue. I was very surprised they let Jos go,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Rajasthan Royals retained six players, including captain Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, and Sandeep Sharma. However, releasing Buttler and other star players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal has been questionable.
Jos Buttler stats at Rajasthan Royals
| Year | Innings | Runs | Outs | Avg | SR | 50 | 100 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 13 | 548 | 10 | 54.8 | 155.2 | 5 | 0 | 52 | 21 |
| 2019 | 8 | 311 | 8 | 38.9 | 151.7 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 14 |
| 2020 | 12 | 328 | 10 | 32.8 | 144.5 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 16 |
| 2021 | 7 | 254 | 7 | 36.3 | 153.0 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 13 |
| 2022 | 17 | 863 | 15 | 57.5 | 149.1 | 4 | 4 | 84 | 45 |
| 2023 | 14 | 392 | 14 | 28.0 | 139.0 | 4 | 0 | 42 | 14 |
| 2024 | 11 | 359 | 9 | 39.9 | 140.8 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 12 |
| Total | 82 | 3,055 | 73 | 41.8 | 147.8 | 18 | 7 | 306 | 135 |
Rajasthan Royals (RR) IPL 2025 retentions
| Player | Price (Crores) (INR) | Capped/Uncapped |
|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson | 18.00 | Capped |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 18.00 | Capped |
| Riyan Parag | 14.00 | Capped |
| Dhruv Jurel | 14.00 | Capped |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 11.00 | Capped |
| Sandeep Sharma | 4.00 | Uncapped |
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