Month: November 2024

IPL Mega Auction 2025 is just over a week away, and the cricket world is already buzzing and curious about how the teams would stack up. Players all around the globe have registered their names to be a part of the marquee Indian Premier League.

However, some names have surprisingly not made it to the list. We have come up with five such names who haven’t made it to the registered players list. So, without any further ado, let us get going with the list of 5 players who will skip IPL 2025 Auction.

1. Ben Stokes (England)

The English Test skipper is all set to miss IPL Mega Auction 2025. The all-rounder hasn’t registered his name in the auctions for the second year in a row. Stokes last featured for 5-times champion Chennai Super Kings in 2023 but wasn’t a regular member of the playing 11. Stokes has given preference to national commitments and wants to focus on Test cricket for next year’s Ashes series. In the last few seasons, Stokes hasn’t been actively featuring in T20 cricket and only played 11 matches across the 2020, 2021, and 2023 seasons of IPL.

2. Jofra Archer (England)

Another Englishman who has pulled out of IPL 2025 is right-arm pacer Jofra Archer. Archer’s omission comes as a huge surprise for cricket fanatics all over the globe. Archer has been in and out of IPL due to injuries in the past. However, he has finally regained full fitness after a long interval but will remain away from the league yet again. Archer’s last IPL stint lasted for only 4 games in the 2023 season for the Mumbai Indians before he flew back home due to a recurring elbow injury. The searing pace of Jofra Archer will be missed yet again in IPL.

Related IPL Mega Auction: 10 Players who are likely to trigger bidding wars

3. Cameron Green (Australia)

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green made shockwaves after getting traded from the Mumbai Indians to Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season for a record Rs 17.5 crore. He had an average season scoring 255 runs and scalping 10 wickets, but the all-rounder won’t be featuring in this edition. Green recently underwent a lower spine surgery, which has ruled him out of action for the next six months. The all-rounder won’t be featuring in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy at home.

4. Dinesh Karthik (India)

Indian veteran and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s designated finisher, Dinesh Karthik, will be missing this edition of IPL. The wicket-keeper batter hanged his boots after completing last season and has bid adieu to International cricket as well. Karthik has been a part of the league since its inception, i.e., and his decorated career spanned over 17 years. The wicket-keeper batter has finished his IPL career with 4842 runs from 50 matches, which included 22 fifties at an average of 26.32 and striking at 135.36. His last three seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru gave him the ’Finisher’ tag, and Karthik will now be donning the role of Batting Consultant of Royal Challenger Bengaluru in the upcoming season.

Related Which overseas player will be the highest-paid at IPL 2025 Mega Auction?

5. Shikhar Dhawan (India)

Just like Dinesh Karthik, Shikhar Dhawan also bid adieu to International and IPL cricket last year. The prolific left-hander has hung up his boots as the second-highest run-getter of the IPL with 6769 runs from 221 innings, just behind Virat Kohli’s ‘Virat’ tally of 8004 runs from 244 innings. Dhawan was the captain of Punjab Kings in 2024 but could only feature in 5 games and accumulated 152 runs with only a fifty in his name. Dhawan was sidelined due to injury for most of the season and couldn’t do much for his side. Now, after hanging his boots, it would be interesting to see if the left-hander returns to the tournament in the upcoming season in some capacity.

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The upcoming mega IPL auction promises to be an event that will be remembered for years. The last mega auction in the IPL, held in 2022, marked significant changes for many franchises. For instance, it disrupted the Mumbai Indians’ core as Hardik Pandya departed for Gujarat Titans. Mega auctions always reshape the league, leaving teams with entirely new compositions. Some squads emerge weaker, while others transform into dominant forces. One thing is certain—teams never remain the same after these auctions.

Ahead of the auction, every team has devised a plan tailored to their needs. Some teams have exercised their retention rights to the maximum, while others, to some extent, opted for a clean slate. But the question remains: what are the rules around retention, and how many players has each team retained?

Rules Around Retentions Ahead of the IPL Auction

The retention rules for the mega IPL auction are relatively straightforward. Teams can retain a maximum of five capped players (Indian or overseas) and two uncapped players from their previous roster, making a total of up to seven retained players. Additionally, teams can use Right to Match (RTM) cards to retain players during the auction. For example, if the Delhi Capitals release Rishabh Pant, they can still retain him using an RTM card.

What Are RTM Cards?

RTM cards allow teams to match the highest bid for a player they previously released, effectively retaining that player. Each team has a maximum of six total retentions—direct retentions and RTM cards combined. For instance, if a team directly retains three players, it has three RTM cards left to use during the auction. However, the BCCI has introduced a new rule for RTM cards ahead of the IPL Auction 2025. According to this rule, when a team uses an RTM card to match the highest bid, the bidder is allowed one chance to increase their bid before the player is awarded to the original team using the RTM. This new mechanism adds another layer of strategy to the auction, ensuring a competitive bidding process.

What is the cost of retaining players?

Retaining players also comes with a significant cost. Each team must disclose the bracket in which they are placing the retained players. Capped players can be retained across five retention categories, depending on the agreement between the team and the player. Here’s a breakdown of the cost of retaining players.

What is each team’s strategy ahead of IPL Auction?

The five-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings, retained MS Dhoni under the uncapped player category. According to the rules, any player who has not played international cricket in the last five years qualifies as uncapped. The franchise also retained the core of their team, including Matheesha Pathirana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shivam Dube, ensuring stability and continuity.

The biggest shock from the retention announcements came from the Delhi Capitals. The franchise, for reasons unknown, chose not to retain superstar wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant. The Indian international will now enter the auction, but DC has the option to use the RTM card to re-sign him. However, this could come at a higher cost than retaining him directly. Instead, DC opted to retain Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel.

Additionally, Royal Challengers Bangalore retained Virat Kohli for INR 21 crore, while Lucknow Super Giants chose to release their captain, KL Rahul. Similarly, KKR opted not to retain their title-winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, who will now enter the auction pool.

Here, we break down each team’s strategy for the upcoming IPL auction.

Now, let’s take a look at how many RTM cards each team has ahead of the IPL Auction.

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With IPL 2025 Auction around the corner, franchise teams are working on strategies to build the best squad for IPL 2025 and beyond. The teams are expected to focus on retaining key players through the RTM (Right to Match) option.  

We have listed down ten players likely to be bought back by their respective teams.

1. Devon Conway – Chennai Super Kings

There are plenty of reasons CSK is expected to use RTM on Conway. Devon Conway offers them stability at the top of the order alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Also, the New Zealander gives a wicket-keeping option and CSK might think of him as a backup for MS Dhoni.

2. Will Jacks – Royal Challengers Bengaluru

RCB will be keen on Will Jacks since they need someone attacking and aggressive at the top of batting order. Since he has proven what he can bring to the table in the last edition, we can see Royal Challengers try to repurchase him with RTM.

3. Marcus Stoinis – Lucknow Super Giants

Marcus Stoinis’ all-round capabilities make him a hot commodity at the auction and LSG will not let go of him so easil. The power-hitting batter who can anywhere in the batting order and a useful seam bowling option makes Stoinis a must-have in the T20 format.

4. Mukesh Kumar – Delhi Capitals

Mukesh Kumar’s prowess in the last couple of seasons has been impressive. Skill with the new-ball and old has increased his stocks for the upcoming auction. Delhi IPL Team can see Mukesh as a long-term asset and try get him back with RTM.

Related 2025 IPL Auction: How each IPL team is likely to use RTM options?

5. Khaleel Ahmed – Delhi Capitals

Khaleel Ahmed has plenty of experience and is a rare left-arm Indian fast bowler who makes the life of batmen difficult. The knack of taking wickets and vast experience adds value to the team and retaining him via RTM would provide DC with a reliable pace option.

6. Abdul Samad – Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad have nurtured Abdul Samad over the years as a long-term investment. They can get the big-hitter back for the finishing ability and prowess he has shown in the last edition of the Indian Premier League.

7. Tushar Deshpande – Chennai Super Kings

Tushar Deshpande was among the leading wicket-takers for Chennai Super Kings in the last couple of seasons. He stepped up when CSK needed him to and now Chennai IPL team can show faith in him using RTM.

8. Nehal Wadhera – Mumbai Indians

The young Nehal Wadhera has put on some strong performances in the last couple of seasons. Now that Mumbai Indians have only uncapped RTM card available, MI buying back Nehal is a possibility.

9. Naman Dhir – Mumbai Indians

Another uncapped player in the ranks of MI, Naman Dhir has shown flashes of brilliance in the limited opportunities. Mumbai IPL team can once again show faith in the player and buy him back at Mega IPL 2025 Auction.

10.  Swapnil Singh – Royal Challengers Bangalore

Swapnil Singh grabbed the opportunity with both hands in the last IPL edition and became a go-to bowler for the franchise. The left-arm spin and capability with the bat make him a candidate for RCB to exercise the RTM card on Swapnil.

Related IPL Mega Auction: 10 Players who are likely to trigger bidding wars

Which Players are eligible for RTM?

The IPL 2025 Mega Auction will set the tone for the next five years. Looking back, moments like the IPL Mega Auctions were crucial for teams like Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in sowing the seeds of their dynasties. The auction not only reshapes team rosters but also significantly impacts each franchise’s success in the upcoming seasons. Teams with larger budgets, or “purses,” have more flexibility in recruiting high-caliber players, allowing them to make strategic moves that could define their performance in the years to come.

However, just like salaried individuals, IPL 2025 teams must work within a fixed budget, with each team starting with INR 120 crores if they have no retained players. A limited budget means teams will need to strategize carefully when bidding for players, considering the right combination while factoring in the players they’ve already retained.

2025 IPL Mega Auction: How the budget works?

Before discussing each team’s purse for the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, it’s important to understand why some teams have a larger purse, while others must work with a smaller budget.

For those unfamiliar with IPL auction rules, it might seem like there’s a disparity or bias in how the budgets are set, but that’s not the case.

The IPL governing council has provided each team with a base budget of INR 120 crores heading into the auction. This budget is for the entire roster and represents the maximum amount only if a team enters the auction with a clean slate, meaning no retained players. If a team retains a player—say, for INR 10 crores—that amount is deducted from their budget, leaving them with INR 110 crores (120 – 10). This is why there’s a variation in the remaining budgets for teams heading into the auction.

Also Read: All about Salary Cap on Foreign Players ahead of IPL 2025 Auction

Players retained by every team ahead of 2025 IPL Mega Auction

Every team had some high-profile players on their roster, whom they had the right to retain. While teams did retain players, this came at a cost. As mentioned earlier, the cost of retaining players, which includes their salaries, is deducted from their total budget of INR 120 crores. Below is the list of players retained by each team ahead of the 2025 IPL Mega Auction.

Chennai Super Kings Retained Players

• MS Dhoni
• Matheesha Pathirana (foreign player)
• Ruturaj Gaikwad
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Shivam Dube

Delhi Capitals Retained Players

• Axar Patel
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Tristan Stubbs (foreign player)
• Abishek Porel

Gujarat Titans Retained Players

• Rashid Khan (foreign player)
• Shubman Gill
• B Sai Sudharsan
• Rahul Tewatia
• Shahrukh Khan

Kolkata Knight Riders Retained Players

• Sunil Narine (foreign player)
• Rinku Singh
• Varun Chakravarthy
• Andre Russell (foreign player)
• Ramandeep Singh
• Harshit Rana

Lucknow Super Giants Retained Players

• Nicholas Pooran (foreign player)
• Mayank Yadav
• Ravi Bishnoi
• Mohsin Khan
• Ayush Badoni

Mumbai Indians Retained Players

• Rohit Sharma
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Tilak Varma
• Hardik Pandya
• Jasprit Bumrah

Punjab Kings Retained Players

• Prabhsimran Singh
• Shashank Singh

Royal Challengers Bangalore Retained Players

• Virat Kohli
• Rajat Patidar
• Yash Dayal

Rajasthan Royals Retained Players

• Sanju Samson
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Riyan Parag
• Sandeep Sharma
• Shimron Hetmyer (foreign player)
• Dhruv Jurel

Sunrisers Hyderabad Retained Players

• Heinrich Klaasen (foreign player)
• Pat Cummins (foreign player)
• Abhishek Sharma
• Travis Head (foreign player)
• Nitish Kumar Reddy

Remaining budget of every team ahead of 2025 IPL Mega Auction

As mentioned earlier, the cost of retaining players reduces the total available budget by that same amount. Rajasthan Royals have the smallest budget available, as they retained players such as Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel, all of whom are part of India’s team setup in various formats.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, have the largest purse available, having retained only two players, Shahrukh Khan and Prabhsimran Singh. It’s worth highlighting that PBKS are the only team with a remaining budget of over INR 100 crores. They can certainly make a strong impact on the proceedings at the 2025 IPL Auction.

Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad are the two other teams, besides Rajasthan Royals, with a budget of less than INR 50 crores.

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The IPL Auction 2025 will be a one-of-a-kind event. Whatever unfolds over the two days in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, one thing is certain: it will have a major impact on the teams’ immediate future and on the players’ lives. Teams must be nearly flawless in managing their budgets for player services, while players will be glued to their screens, hoping at least one team shows interest in their skills.

Indian players will undoubtedly be in high demand due to IPL’s playing conditions. For those unfamiliar, each IPL team must field at least seven Indian players in their playing XI, with a maximum of four foreign players per match. Speaking of foreign players, a new condition has been introduced by the IPL governing council. According to this rule, there’s now a salary cap on foreign player fees in the 2025 auction. But why?

Also Read: What are new RTM rules?

IPL Auction 2025: Why there is a Salary Cap on Foreign Player Fee this year?

With the IPL Auction 2025 comes a new cap on foreign player fees, aimed at preventing overseas players from securing excessive contracts due to team desperation, especially in mini-auctions. For example, before IPL 2024, a mini-auction in December 2023 saw Mitchell Starc command a record-breaking INR 24.75 crores, as Kolkata Knight Riders went all-in for his services, making him the most expensive signing in IPL history. Similarly, Pat Cummins was acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20.75 crores, marking the second-highest bid.

How the Salary Cap on foreign players work?

This new salary cap intends to prevent foreign players from taking advantage of franchises’ high demand for players. Starting in 2026, foreign player salaries will be capped at the highest retention or auction price paid to Indian players. This means foreign players can earn up to, but not more than, the top-paid Indian player for a season. This cap aims to balance player salaries, prevent inflated bids for international talent, and ensure fair distribution between local and foreign players.

Additionally, if a foreign player’s final bid exceeds the cap, the franchise will pay the difference to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which will use these funds for player welfare. This policy reflects IPL’s effort to maintain competitive balance and sustainably manage its expanding player market.

When Will IPL Auction 2025 take place?

The Mega IPL 2025 Auction will be held over two days: November 24 and November 25.

Where will the IPL 2025 Auction be held?

The IPL 2025 Auction will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

How many players have registered for the IPL 2025 Auction?

This is a major event, with players from numerous countries registering. Specifically, 1,574 players have entered their names into the IPL 2025 auction pool, hoping to secure a life-changing contract.

How to watch live streaming of the IPL 2025 Auction?

The live streaming of the IPL 2025 Auction will be available on the JioCinema Mobile App. It can also be accessed on the JioCinema website.

How to watch the live broadcast of the IPL 2025 Auction on TV?

The live broadcast of the IPL 2025 Auction will be available on the Star Sports TV Network.

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