Bookmark this page for timely updates on all major developments ahead of the IPL 2025 retention deadline on October 31st, at 4:30 PM IST.
Follow the space below for all updates:
Contrary to previous rumours, reports are coming out that Kolkata Knight Riders have decided to retain Andre Russell.
Russell has been a vital cog of KKR for about a decade now. He was also their top retention ahead of the last mega auction in 2022. Moreover, Russell picked up 19 wickets and scored over 200 runs in their title-winning IPL 2024 campaign as well. So, it makes sense that KKR have decided to retain him.
Besides Russell, KKR have retained Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep singh. Shreyas Iyer has been released.
Rishabh Pant has already parted ways with Delhi Capitals and according to recent reports, it is being said that Chennai Super Kings have strong interest in acquiring Pant’s services to carry MS Dhoni’s legacy forward.
So, CSK might engage in a bidding war in the IPL 2025 auction for Pant. The other franchises that might be interested in acquiring him are KKR, LSG, and RCB.
Contrary to previous reports, which stated that Nicholas Pooran has agreed to stay with LSg for INR 18 crores, new report as come to light that mentions LSG paid a premium price of INR 21 crores to retain his services.
Also, it’s not guaranteed yet whether he will be the captain as LSG could explore other options they might acquire at the auctions slated to happen later this month.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are planning major changes ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, including targeting Rishabh Pant as a potential long-term replacement for MS Dhoni, whose role is likely to reduce with fitness concerns.
Pant, reportedly released by Delhi Capitals, could bring fresh energy and leadership to CSK, though this move may require releasing their star all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, to free up funds. CSK might consider reacquiring Jadeja through the Right to Match (RTM) option, balancing financial strategy with his value to the team.
Meanwhile, the franchise faces a decision between Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad for future captaincy, with both players offering different leadership styles.
The Gujarat Titans have decided to retain Rashid Khan for IPL 2025, securing their core bowling strength as the Afghan leg-spinner remains one of the most reliable and impactful players in T20 cricket.
Alongside Rashid, young talents like Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, and all-rounder Rahul Tewatia are expected to form the foundation of the Titans’ roster. Apparently, skipper Shubman Gill has taken a paycut to accomodate the retention of other players.
Rajasthan Royals are set to make a bold move by releasing England’s Jos Buttler, their explosive opener and a mainstay over recent seasons. The decision comes as Buttler has been experiencing a dip in form and also issues with injury of late.
The franchise is looking to solidify its core with Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Shimron Hetmyer. Sandeep Sharma is being retained as an uncapped player. However, RR is still contemplating whether to retain Dhruv Jurel, leaving fans curious about the final lineup.
Punjab Kings, under head coach Ricky Ponting, is planning a complete overhaul as they will head into the auction with a purse of INR 112 crores. They are likely to retain only two uncapped players and no capped players.
Shashank Singh is certain to be one of the uncapped retentions whereas the other one could be either Ashutosh Sharma or Prabhsimran Singh. PBKS have arrived at the decision to not retain any of their capped players as they believe they can get them back in auction at a much cheaper price than INR 18 crores.
In another shocking development, the rumours are proving to be true as it seems that Rishabh Pant is on his way out of Delhi Capitals. The reported reason for his release is Pant’s dissatisfaction with his terms being not met by the alliance of the new owners, JSW and GMR groups.
As a result, Pant is heading into the auction as the Capitals are probably seeking to retain Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel.
The latest grapevine is that CSK are super interested in Pant as a long-term replacement fo MS Dhoni.
Chennai Super Kings have retained Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, and Shivam Dube as their capped players. The order of their retention isn’t confirmed yet, whereas MS Dhoni has been retained as an uncapped player.
This means CSK have let go key players like Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra into the auction. They have also parted ways with Sameer Rizvi, whom they bought for a whopping sum of INR 8.4 crores in the IPL 2024 auction. CSK do have one RTM left through. It remains to be seen which player they use it on in the IPL 2025 auctions. They will go into the auction with a purse of INR 55 crores.
In a shocking move, KKR are likely to release their star players Andre Russell and captain Shreyas Iyer ahead of the IPL 2025 retention deadline, reports ESPNcricinfo. Both players played a key role in KKR’s title triumph last season and it is quite a shocking news for the fans to see them getting released.
Iyer was KKR’s most expensive player at the IPL 2022 mega auction as they bought him for INR 12.25 crores. Russell was also their top retention for INR 12 crores before IPL 2022 mega auction and he has been with KKR since 2014.
As far as Cricxtasy had learnt, Russell was supposed to be KKR’s top retention but some things have changed in the last few days. Do wait for further updates as there could still be last minute decisions made about Russell’s retention.
Apart from the duo, KKR are also likely to part ways with Mitchell Starc, whom they bought for a massive sum of INR 24.75 crores in IPL 2024 auction. As far as the retentions go, KKR are likely to retain Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh.
As reported by Cricxtasy before, Sunrisers Hyderabad have already finalised their retentions. They have gone for five retentions in Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Klaasen is their top retention for INR 23 crores, Pat Cummins is their second retention for INR 18 crores, whereas each of Head and Abhishek have been retained for INR 14 crores.
Nitish, on the other hand, has decided to stay with them for only INR 6 crores. Although he could have fetched more in the auctions, it shows his loyalty to the franchise. SRH will go into the auction with one RTM as they haven’t retained any uncapped player.
Nicholas Pooran has already inked a deal with Lucknow Super Giants as their top retention for IPL 2025. He is also set to lead them as KL Rahul is leaving the franchise. Rahul’s move away from LSG could be seen during the IPL 2024 season following his spat with RPSG owner Sanjiv Goenka on national television. It was only a matter of time before he left the franchise.
Other than Pooran, it has been learnt that LSG are retaining pace sensation Mayank Yadav and spinner Ravi Bishnoi. The order of their retentions and their values aren’t known yet. Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni are two other players LSG are going to retain as uncapped players.
Cricxtasy can’t confirm this information yet but multiple other sources, including the Times of India, are reporting that Virat Kohli will be back as RCB captain in IPL 2025.
This could have large scale implications on RCB and other teams’ retention plans as RCB would have been looking for a captain otherwise. Kohli gave up captaincy in IPL 2021 but he has still been a leader on the field for them and also the face of the franchise. He also won the Orange Cap last season, amassing 741 runs. Read more on the story here.
