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The mega auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is expected to be held in Riyadh at the end of this month, according to sources.
All ten franchises have announced their list of retained players for the IPL 2025, which turned out to be full of surprises and some expected decisions.
As all teams have retained the players that they feel will be core to their success in the upcoming season of the cash-rich league, all eyes have now shifted towards the mega auction.
According to sources, the IPL auction will be in Riyadh, the dates are likely to be November 24 to 25.
The retention lists of all ten franchises for the Indian Premier League (IPL) season next year were finally unveiled last week, with several big guns, including Jos Buttler, Aiden Markram, Glenn Maxwell, Faf Du Plessis, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and many more were allowed to enter the auction by their respective franchises.
The teams retained a total of 46 players while investing a cumulative sum of Rs 558.5 crore. Out of a total of 46 players retained across all franchises, 36 players are Indian. Out of these, 10 players are uncapped Indian stars.
With the release of IPL-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rishabh Pant from Delhi Capitals (DC) and KL Rahul from Lucknow Super Giants, three top-class Indian captaincy options will be available who are looking for a new skipper for their side.
Notably, no England players were retained by franchises this time around. Various star players like Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Harry Brook, Phil Salt, and Will Jacks were let go.
These players missed out on some part of their season due to international commitments, while Harry Brook pulled out due to personal reasons. England batter Jason Roy pulled out of the IPL ahead of this season due to personal reasons. These developments damaged the team balance at times, with several teams dependent on their overseas talent.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) placed their trust in the Indian core, consisting of skipper Hardik Pandya, former captain Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, 360-degree hitter Suryakumar Yadav and young left-hander Tilak Varma.
It was expected that youngster Ishan Kishan could retain his place, given his youth and experience with the franchise, but it didn't unfold as many would have thought. This retention strategy allows MI to maintain a robust Indian contingent, leaving them with Rs 45 crore to further bolster their squad in the auction.
In contrast, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have taken a more selective approach, retaining only three players. Virat Kohli commands the highest retention fee at Rs 21 crore, alongside Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal. This strategy leaves RCB with the second-largest purse of Rs 83 crore.
The Punjab Kings have surprised many by opting not to retain any capped players. Their two retentions, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh, indicate a shift towards nurturing young talent. With the largest purse remaining at Rs 110.5 crore.
Rajasthan Royals have largely solidified their batting order, retaining a strong lineup but seeking an additional opener. Entering the auction with the smallest purse at Rs 41 crore.
For Chennai Super Kings (CSK), MS Dhoni is once again set to participate in the upcoming season of the IPL after he was retained as an uncapped player by the five-time champions.
CSK's strategy is likely to focus on blending seasoned players with fresh talent, maintaining the balance that has driven their past successes. Besides Dhoni, their retained players include Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and Matheesha Pathirana.
List of retained players by franchises:
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, Yashaswi 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.