(5 Retentions That Left Fans Surprised)On October 31, IPL teams announced their retained players for the 2025 mega-auction, sparking debate among cricket fans. Notably, Chennai Super Kings retained MS Dhoni as an uncapped player for Rs 4 crore, while Lucknow Super Giants released KL Rahul, Delhi Capitals let go of Rishabh Pant, and Kolkata Knight Riders released Shreyas Iyer. In total, ten teams retained 46 players at a combined cost of Rs 558.5 crore. While some decisions were expected, others surprised fans. This article highlights the five most unexpected and questionable retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 season. Find out which players made the list.
Five worst retentions by franchises before the IPL 2025 mega auction
5. Prabhsimran Singh (Punjab Kings – INR 4 Crore)
One of the most surprising retentions was made by Punjab Kings, who retained wicketkeeper-batsman Prabhsimran Singh for Rs 4 crore ahead of the mega auction. The franchise released several star players including Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran. Prabhsimran’s retention after he scored 756 runs in 32 matches at a strike rate of 146.23 shows Punjab’s faith in the young talent.
Under new head coach Ricky Ponting, PBKS are taking a new approach, retaining only two uncapped players, Prabhsimran and Shashank Singh (INR 5.5 crore). They have the biggest purse of Rs 110.5 crore and can target several big players in the auction.
4. Yash Dayal (Royal Challengers Bengaluru – INR 5 Crore)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) decided to retain pacer Yash Dayal for Rs 5 crore ahead of the 2025 IPL season. The decision made headlines considering the franchise released veterans like Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj. With several big names in the squad from the previous edition, the 2016 finalists’ decision to pick Dayal over their top bowler Siraj was criticised from all quarters.
The left-arm pacer has had a bumpy ride in the cash-rich league so far. However, during the 2024 season, especially in a crucial match against Chennai Super Kings, the left-arm pacer led RCB to victory and took the team to the playoffs.
3. Abhishek Porel (Delhi Capitals – 4 Crore)
Delhi Capitals, the runners-up of the 2020 edition, showed their faith in uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman Abhishek Porel by releasing several big players ahead of the 2025 IPL mega auction. The decision to go with Porel was even more surprising considering the release of Australia’s explosive opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who had an impressive strike rate of 234.04 in IPL 2024.
Retaining the young Bengal keeper comes as the franchise is releasing veterans like David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Anrich Nortje. Meanwhile, the left-handed batsman performed consistently well last season and scored 360 runs in 18 matches, making the DC management even more confident of his potential.
2. Dhruv Jurel (Rajasthan Royals – INR 14 Crore)
Rajasthan Royals made a bold decision by retaining uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel for INR 14 crores ahead of IPL 2025. The decision was surprising considering the franchise released veterans like Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult.
The franchise has prioritised youth, along with Jurel they have also retained Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag. With skipper Sanju Samson (INR 18 crores) and Caribbean powerhouse Shimron Hetmyer (INR 11 crores), they have already spent INR 79 crores from their purse. There are 19 slots to fill and INR 41 crores left with them.
1.Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals – INR 11 Crore)
Despite having international stars like Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult, Rajasthan Royals made another big choice of retaining West Indies power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer. The Caribbean left-handed batsman, who has scored 1,244 runs in 72 IPL matches at a strike rate of 153.20, has been a key player in Rajasthan’s recent success.
Hetmyer has been trusted by the Royals franchise as he has played several match-winning knocks for the team in the past. Hetmyer was the reason RR reached the final in 2022 and finished third in the 2024 season, where they won eight out of 14 matches before being eliminated by Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2.
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