Players who were not retained for IPL 2025 but are part of upcoming IND vs SA T20Is ft. Arshdeep Singh

The dust has been settled on the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 retentions. Despite the big icons like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continuing with their teams, this year’s mega auction will be the biggest of them all. This is because several big names like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer among others are entering the auction after getting released by their franchises.

Following the retentions, India’s next assignment lies in the form of South Africa, who will host the Men in Blue for a four-game T20I series. As we have seen in the format, the current T20 World Cup champions have been experimenting with the squad, giving young guns a chance to showcase their prowess. Having said that, the Indian T20 squad is filled with players who have already announced themselves on the big stage of IPL. Hence, as many as 11 of the 15 squad members are the ones who have been retained by their respective franchises. On that note, below are the four Indian players who have been released at the IPL 2025 but are part of the Indian team for the IND vs SA T20I series.

Arshdeep Singh – Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Punjab Kings (PBKS) will enter the IPL 2025 mega auction with the biggest purse ever of ₹110.50 crore. Although not retaining a lot of players after last season’s performances is justifiable, especially with a new head coach, Ricky Ponting in charge. But one choice is inexplicable: Arshdeep Singh.

Arshdeep Singh’s stellar performance in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup solidified his position as India’s premier pacer, second only to Jasprit Bumrah, and one of the world’s top bowlers. He led India’s bowling attack, claiming the most wickets (17) at an impressive average of 12.65 in just eight matches.

Despite his exceptional performance, reports suggest that PBKS were hesitant to retain Arshdeep for a fee of ₹18 crore. This decision seems perplexing, given his crucial role in India’s white-ball cricket setup. In South Africa, Arshdeep will spearhead the bowling attack.

Avesh Khan – Rajasthan Royals (RR)

With the likes of Mayank Yadav and Harshit Rana going to Australia tours, Avesh Khan has got a chance to make his India comeback. He last played against Zimbabwe in July this year. Having said that, he is expected to start in Durban, given he is only one of the two right arm pacers in the Indian team. The second one is another player who we will talk about below.

Avesh was bought for a whopping Rs 10 crore at the IPL 2024 auction when Rajasthan Royals (RR) showed faith in him.

Avesh even did superbly as well, striking 19 wickets at a bowling strike rate of 17.3. However, he was never expected to be retained. After all, RR have let go someone like Yuzvendra Chahal. So, let alone the chance of retaining Avesh Khan.

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Jitesh Sharma – Punjab Kings (PBKS)

There was a time when Jitesh Sharma was hot and firing. When Rishabh Pant was out injured, it was Jitesh who kept wickets and acted as a proper finisher. However, the IPL 2024 changed it all for Jitesh, who managed to score just 187 runs at an average of a mere 17.00.

He hasn’t played for India since January and will be the second choice keeper as well behind Sanju Samson. If India go on to win the first three T20Is against South Africa, Jitesh might get a chance to break into the first XI as well. While PBKS didn’t retain him, the 31-year-old is still a top class talent.

He is a rare commodity who can make serious impact while playing 10-ball cameos as well. A team like Mumbai Indians (MI) might go after him at the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Vijaykumar Vyshak – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

Ramandeep Singh and Vijaykumar Vyshak were the two surprise named pick for the IND vs SA T20Is. While Ramandeep was an uncapped pick for KKR, Vyshak was let go by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Instead, RCB retained the other uncapped pacer in Yash Dayal at Rs 5 crore.

Vyshak has played two IPL seasons, both for the RCB and has taken a total of 13 wickets at a bowling strike rate of 17.7. While RCB can bring him back via a RTM card, Vyshak could be a great option for any team.

Vyshak, a promising young talent with 103 First-Class wickets in just 26 matches, caught the eye of RCB two seasons ago when he was called up to replace Rajat Patidar. This opportunity came after a stellar performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament for Karnataka. In recent years, Vyshak has honed his skills, mastering the art of varying his pace and delivering the deceptive knuckleball. His ability to swing the ball both ways and handle pressure situations makes him a valuable asset to the team, and he will undoubtedly be a reliable option for skipper Suryakumar Yadav.