RR has a star-studded lineup and it will be interesting to see who the franchise decides to retain ahead of IPL 2025.
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have been amongst the top teams on basis of their performance but haven’t been able to go all the way ever since winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy in the inaugural season.
In the previous edition (IPL 2024) as well, under Sanju Samson’s leadership, RR performed brilliantly. They absolutely dominated the first half of the season but couldn’t keep the momentum going and struggled later. Although they secured a playoffs stage, they finished their campaign at third after losing Qualifier 2 to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Despite the mixed performance, RR can feel confident as they plan for IPL 2025.
However, with a mega auction planned ahead of the new season, RR, can retain only four players. In this article, let’s take a look at the four players who Rajasthan Royals might choose to keep.
Skipper Sanju Samson will likely be the first choice for retention for obvious reasons. As the captain, the dynamic right-hander has led the team well and excelled with the bat too, being one of the most consistent run-scorers for the franchise.
Samson scored 531 runs with an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46, including five half-centuries last season. Samson’s leadership and batting skills make him an indispensable part of the team.
Also Read: RCB Retained Players List for IPL 2025
Riyan Parag has been with RR for six seasons and had a breakout season in the IPL 2024. Although the youngster had a few previous subpar seasons, the RR management decided to show trust in him.
And the Assam batting all-rounder has repaid the faith, scoring 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21. His turnaround in performance has made him a valuable player and the RR management will definitely now see him as essential for retention.
Courtesy of his incredible comeback, Parag earned his maiden India call-up during the Zimbabwe tour earlier this month and is now a part of the ongoing Sri Lanka tour.
Yuzvendra Chahal is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, with 205 wickets in 160 matches. In the last three years, Chahal has featured in 46 games for the RR franchise and dismissed 66 batters, which is the most by any player in history.
Chahal has a knack for delivering breakthrough during crunch situations and is a versatile bowler who can bowl in powerplay, middle overs and at the death. RR will be mindful to not let go off a promising short-format talent who almost guarantees returns in every match that he plays.
Jos Buttler has been a crucial player for RR, consistently being one of their top scorers. He has a decent outing in the IPL 2024 edition as well where he scored 359 runs with an average of around 40, comprising two centuries. His ability to dominate in the shorter format and his significant contributions make him a likely retention choice.
The England white-ball skipper is a solid option at the top of the order and RR will hopefully prevail with him for the upcoming season.
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