The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is already in full swing, with teams having finalized their squads through the mega auction held in November 2024.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier announced the retention rules, allowing franchises to retain up to six players, including a maximum of five capped internationals and up to two uncapped Indian players.
A total of 46 players were retained across all teams, with a cumulative investment of INR 558.5 crore.
Player Retentions for IPL 2025
Here’s a breakdown of the players retained by each franchise:
Chennai Super Kings:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Shivam Dube
- Ravindra Jadeja
- MS Dhoni
Delhi Capitals:
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Tristan Stubbs
- Abhishek Porel
Gujarat Titans:
- Rashid Khan
- Shubman Gill
- Sai Sudharsan
- Rahul Tewatia
- Shahrukh Khan
Kolkata Knight Riders:
- Rinku Singh
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Sunil Narine
- Andre Russell
- Harshit Rana
- Ramandeep Singh
Lucknow Super Giants:
- Nicholas Pooran
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Mayank Yadav
- Mohsin Khan
- Ayush Badoni
Mumbai Indians:
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Hardik Pandya
- Rohit Sharma
- Tilak Varma
Punjab Kings:
- Shashank Singh
- Prabhsimran Singh
Rajasthan Royals:
- Sanju Samson
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Riyan Parag
- Dhruv Jurel
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Sandeep Sharma
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
- Virat Kohli
- Rajat Patidar
- Yash Dayal
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
- Pat Cummins
- Abhishek Sharma
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Heinrich Klaasen
- Travis Head
These retentions set the stage for the IPL mega auction 2025, where teams aimed to fill the remaining slots in their squads.
Squad Stats & Salary Cap Table (Ahead of Auction)
| Franchise | No of Players | No of Overseas Players | No of Uncapped Players | RTM | Total money spent (Rs.) | Salary cap available (Rs.) | Available Slots | Overseas Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSK | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 65 | 55 | 20 | 7 |
| DC | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 47 | 73 | 21 | 7 |
| GT | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 69 | 20 | 7 |
| KKR | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 69 | 51 | 19 | 6 |
| LSG | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 69 | 20 | 7 |
| MI | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 45 | 20 | 8 |
| PBKS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9.5 | 110.5 | 23 | 8 |
| RCB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 83 | 22 | 8 |
| RR | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 79 | 41 | 19 | 7 |
| SRH | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 45 | 20 | 5 |
| Total | 46 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 558.5 | 641.5 | 204 | 70 |
IPL 2025 Mega Auction Highlights
The IPL 2025 mega auction took place on November 24-25, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Franchises had a total salary cap of INR 120 crore to build a squad of up to 25 players. Teams utilized their Right to Match (RTM) options strategically, with a total of 8 RTMs used during the auction.
Some of the notable signings included:
- Rishabh Pant: Acquired by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 27 crore.
- Shreyas Iyer: Picked up by Punjab Kings for INR 26.75 crore.
- Venkatesh Iyer: Joined Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 23.75 crore.
- Yuzvendra Chahal: Signed by Punjab Kings for INR 18 crore.
- Jos Buttler: Bought by Gujarat Titans for INR 15.75 crore.
The auction saw a total of 182 players sold, with franchises spending a combined amount of INR 639.15 crore. Teams like Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which had larger purses, made significant additions to their squads, aiming to strengthen their lineups for the ongoing season.
With the squads finalized, the IPL 2025 season promises exciting matches and intense competition as teams vie for the coveted title.
What Happened at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction?
The IPL 2025 mega auction was held in late November 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — marking the first time the event took place outside India. All 10 teams came in with new strategies, a refreshed approach, and big budgets to reshape their squads before the new season.
Over 180 players were sold, with some surprising bidding wars and record-breaking prices. Teams like Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who had the biggest purses going into the auction, made bold moves to strengthen their lineups. On the other hand, franchises like KKR and RR, who retained strong cores, focused on filling key gaps with smart picks.
The auction also saw a few youngsters grab attention and some unexpected player movements that added extra excitement heading into IPL 2025.
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Final Thoughts
With the player retention list confirmed and the mega auction done, IPL 2025 has already kicked off with high energy. Each team has made strategic calls—some building from scratch, others sticking to their strong base. The season promises fresh talent, intense matchups, and plenty of twists for fans to enjoy.
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