OPINION
Follow UsSeven teams have been eliminated from the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. While the focus is on the three teams and the two matches remaining in the competition, fans have already started looking beyond this season, especially for the eliminated teams.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed a mega auction before the 2025 edition and the first step would be the retentions. What is popcorn-munching fun for the fans is a head-scratching exercise for the franchises – to nit-pick a set of players to retain from their existing pool.
For fun, we look at which players might get retained. It is a bit too early for that, but fans are already anticipating franchises taking these vital calls. For now, we don’t know the retention dynamics. All we know is that there will be a mega auction.
Hence, we assess based on the regulations before the 2022 mega-auction. Each team was allowed to retain four players — three Indians and one overseas player or two Indians and two overseas players.
Do remember a few players may want to be in the auction rather than being retained. On that note, let’s get started.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Contenders: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Siraj, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Will Jacks
First, Virat Kohli would be retained. Second, skipper Faf du Plessis might not, given that he will be 40 by the next season. Glenn Maxwell might be released too, owing to his age and a poor 2024 season (52 runs in nine innings) alongside that hefty price tag.
For the other three spots, RCB can take two approaches since they have several retention-worthy players.
If they want to keep three Indian players, Patidar and Siraj should be retained, leaving them to choose between Cameron Green and Will Jacks.
If not, both Green and Jacks can be retained but the dilemma would be between Patidar and Siraj.
It would be a tricky decision in any case knowing what each of these four players provides them. Siraj is one of India’s premier pace bowlers and such players are not available easily. Patidar and Jacks have been their star middle-order batters in the 2024 season. Green is a long-term prospect who was traded in at INR 17.5 crore.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Contenders: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer
Sunil Narine and Andre Russell’s retentions are written in stone. Beyond them, the KKR management will have a few tough calls to make. Shreyas Iyer is their captain but hasn’t lived up to the expectations (average 33.9, strike rate 139.7) in three seasons. However, many teams would be looking for Indian players with captaincy experience in the mega auction. Thus, there are high chances that Shreyas Iyer will be retained too.
This would leave them three choices for the last spot. Chakaravathy has been brilliant for KKR in the last few seasons but there is a like-for-like spinner in Narine. KKR haven’t used much of Venkatesh Iyer’s bowling, which reduces his chances of being retained on the basis of his secondary skill, the same factor that gave him the nod above Shubman Gill back in 2022.
What about Rinku Singh though? He has had an underpar 2024 season but is the biggest player to emerge from the KKR setup in this cycle. KKR will have Andre Russell for the finishing duties but Indian finishers will be a priceless asset in the auction. Hence, Rinku might be retained over Varun and Venkatesh Iyer.
Delhi Capitals
Contenders: Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Axar Patel
DC have five straightforward contenders and will be scratching their heads hard about which player to release into the auction if only four retentions are allowed. They have three first-choice Indian players and would like to retain all of them. But they also produced two breakout stars of the 2024 season in Stubbs and Fraser-McGurk. Both, if released into the auction, are likely to fetch heavy paycheques.
If DC retain three Indian players and only one overseas, Stubbs may get the preference, given Delhi’s wretched history with finishers in the past. If they secure two overseas players, then Axar may probably be left behind the skipper Rishabh Pant and India’s premier spinner, Kuldeep Yadav. Overall, life would be much easier for the Delhi management if teams are allowed to retain five players with two overseas and three Indians.
Punjab Kings
Contenders: Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma
First, it won’t be a surprise if PBKS head into the auction without any retentions. They have consistently been the team with the fewest retentions heading into the mega auction. They went clean slate in 2011 and 2018. In 2014 and 2022, they retained only two players each.
Will they go clean slate again? Having not qualified in this auction cycle, there is a good chance. But they have four players they would like to discuss. Arshdeep Singh, their premier pacer for a few seasons, is an India international, but his form has been up and down.
Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma are their breakout stars of 2024 and would be in high demand in the next auction if not retained.
Sam Curran seems most likely to be retained among their overseas recruits owing to his all-around abilities. Hence, Punjab won’t be much bothered by the retention dynamics rolled out. The ball is in their court regarding who they want to retain.
Rajasthan Royals
Contenders: Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Shimron Hetmyer
Contrary to Punjab, Rajasthan will be one of the most affected sides from this mega auction as they have acquired several consistent players in this auction cycle. If you ask them to retain the whole squad, they might just agree in a heartbeat.
But let us see which four players they may choose. Sanju Samson should be their first choice to cover for the duties of a premier Indian batter, wicketkeeper and captain. Jos Buttler is another valuable asset, but as an overseas batter.
RR’s other two retention-worthy players are Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag. Jaiswal is an all-format player for India while Riyan Parag is on the verge of an India debut. The problem with retaining them is that both are batters. If all these four players are sealed, RR will lack variety in the lot of their retained players.
What about the bowlers? Yuzvendra Chahal is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history. Meanwhile, Trent Boult is one of the OG powerplay bowlers. Both have fulfilled their roles in this three-year cycle. RR would want to keep them too.
Thus, RR might retain Samson, Buttler, Chahal and one between Jaiswal and Parag with the hope of re-signing the rest in the auction.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Contenders: Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nitish Kumar Reddy
SRH is in the same boat as RR — there are more retention-worthy players than spots available. First things first, they will have to clarify with Cummins whether he will return for the next IPL season or not. If yes, he would be retained as the side's captain. The headache will remain to keep either Heinrich Klaasen or Travis Head.
If Cummins doesn’t return, then Klaasen and Head are straightforward choices.
In either case, SRH will have two Indian spots, with one certain to go to Abhishek Sharma. For the last spot, they have options in their seamers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan. The left-armer, Natarajan, has been SRH's best bowler in the season despite the side playing plenty of high-scoring matches. Bhuvi, meanwhile, has been with them since the inception of the franchise in 2013. He matches Natarajan's economy of 9.1 in the season but picked only 11 wickets in 14 matches. There is also Nitish Kumar Reddy, their emerging star of the season and more importantly, a seam-bowling all-rounder.
There is a good chance SRH will try to re-sign all three of them in the auction and move forward with only three retentions ahead of the mega auction.
Chennai Super Kings
Contenders: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande
*Considering MS Dhoni will retire from IPL after this season, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja become straightforward Indian retentions for CSK. In the overseas lot, they will have Pathirana on their radar as the leader of their pace attack. And that should be it. There might be conversations around Tushar Deshpande but the retention dynamics could leave CSK to re-buy him in the auction.
If Dhoni continues, picking one between Dube and Jadeja would be tricky.
Lucknow Super Giants
Contenders: KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni
Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran were the pillars of LSG this season and should be retained by the franchise. However, they will have to think over the two Indian spots.
The visuals of the unpleasant conversation between LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka and skipper KL Rahul after the thumping at the hands of SRH sparked debates that Rahul may not continue with the franchise after the season. After the 2021 season, Rahul broke ties with Punjab, and a few teams will be looking for captains in the mega auction, which can mark a new beginning for Rahul. Hence, the cricketing merit suggests the 32-year-old may move on from Lucknow.
They have two young fast bowlers they have developed in this auction cycle but both are injury prone. Mohsin Khan has done well for three years carrying injuries, while Mayank was their newfound star in 2024, winning two Player of the Match awards in his first two games with his thunderbolts.
Given that Lucknow's home conditions have been more spin-friendly than any other venue in this cycle, it also makes sense to keep a spinner. But Ravi Bishnoi, their premier spinner, hasn’t done justice to his role as a wicket-taker (39 wickets in 43 matches). Ayush Badoni is another contender as an Indian finisher.
Therefore, LSG will have to make a few choices. And if Rahul stays, they can pick only one of these youngsters they have groomed. You never know they might as well release them all.
At the moment, Pooran and Stoinis seem to be their only definite retentions.
Gujarat Titans
Contenders: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Mohammed Shami, David Miller, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Noor Ahmad
There are speculations that Gujarat might move on from Shubman Gill, who had an under-par season, both as a batter and a first-time captain. Also, Rashid Khan’s links with Mumbai’s sister franchises in other leagues hint that his union with Mumbai Indians is imminent and the upcoming mega auction is a perfect opportunity for that. So, there is a chance Rashid might want to go into the auction. He will also be one of the hot properties of the auction if he makes that call.
As of now, these moves are only theories, but they change the equation for Gujarat. But in either case, the other two retentions are expected to be David Miller and Mohammed Shami. Both were GT’s prime reasons for success in 2022 and 2023. Moreover, Gujarat missed Shami immensely in 2024, when they finished eighth on the points table.
In other contenders, they have Rahul Tewatia, who has been a freak of a finisher for them. The ease and consistency with which he has done a tough job for them should make him one of the favourites to be retained.
Then there is Sai Sudharsan who has almost been a second version of Gill. And let's not forget Noor Ahmad. He had an iffy 2024 season but was a match-winner for them in 2023. Belonging to the rare commodities of left-arm wrist-spinners, there is a good chance that Noor will be retained if Rashid doesn’t stay with them.
Hence, Gujarat has a large pool of players they want to keep through retentions and buying players back in the auction. In any case, everything rests on the conversations between the management, Gill, and Rashid.
Mumbai Indians
Contenders: Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Tim David
Finally Mumbai, where things have become quite messy. Let’s acknowledge the rumours first: Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah were miffed when Hardik Pandya was made captain on his return to the side, and they might not accept the retention slots. And what about Rohit Sharma? The build-up of Mumbai’s final league game this season was built around it, possibly being Rohit’s last home IPL game at the Wankhede. There is just too much going on in that camp.
Without any controversies, they would want to retain at least three Indian players here — Hardik, Bumrah and Surya, alongside possibly one overseas player in Tim David or none at all. If that isn’t possible due to any restraint from any of their first-choice players, then Tilak Varma would definitely come into the picture.
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