5 surprising releases by IPL franchises before 2025 auction

Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni (Source – BCCI/IPL)

The renowned T20 cricket’s megafest the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) will enter its 18th edition and before the action, mega auctions beckon teams. The Indian cricket’s apex governing body, BCCI (Board for Control of Cricket in India) has provided franchises with a tweaked version of the retention rules. According to the latest rules, a team can retain up to six players including one uncapped player. It also provided flexibility with the previous set price cap for the players. With that in mind, after a rigorous brainstorming, the D-Day arrived.

On October 31, all franchises of the IPL unveiled their retention lists and the development surprised many fans. Several players who were termed as sure shot retains were left out of the squad. While teams like Mumbai Indians (MI), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) managed to contain their key players from cutting ties, several decisions were received with raised eyebrows from the cricket connoisseurs.

 Let’s have a look at the top five surprising releases ahead of the IPL mega auction:

5. Arshdeep Singh

Fiery pacer Arshdeep Singh was one of the key pacers for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2024. He made his debut for the team in 2019 and went on to play for India thereafter. He was a part of the squad until 2024 and his inclusion in the upcoming season is in the shadows as he was released by the team.

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Notably, PBKS retained only two players in the form of Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh and both the batters are uncapped. This essentially meant that PBKS would enter the auction with a hefty purse of INR 110.5 crores, as they spent INR 5.5 crores and four crores on Shashank and Prabhsimran, respectively.

4. Jos Buttler

Buttler was not retained by Rajasthan Royals and they opted for Shimron Hetmyer as the overseas batter in retentions. It is worth noting that the England Captain played a surreal knock for the Royals in the game against KKR, scoring an explosive unbeaten knock (107* off 60 balls).

Jos Buttler was retained by RR for INR 10 crore ahead of IPL 2024 and the batter was let go due to his regular confrontation with injuries. Moreover, the franchise has retained wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel leaving out veterans such as Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.

3. Mohammed Siraj

Pacer Mohammed Siraj’s exclusion came as a surprise for many as the pacer has time and again expressed his desire to stick to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The franchise retained only three players in the form of Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal.

The Bengaluru-based franchise opted for uncapped Dayal over Siraj and shed five crore. It is worth noting that the team does have a choice of using RTM and getting back Siraj in their den. And the team would like to have the rights of one of their cherished players. Notably, Siraj was retained by RCB in 2024 for INR 2.60 crore.

2. KL Rahul

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner, Sanjiv Goenka vented his anger at KL Rahul when the team lost against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024. The sight was caught on camera, and the netizens, pundits, and fans expected Rahul to walk away from the franchise.

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The same happened when the wicketkeeper-batter was not retained ahead of the IPL 2025. Rahul was retained by LSG for INR 17 crores and the Karnataka batter is left searching for a new franchise. He will enter the auctions of the IPL for the first time since 2018.

1. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant’s exclusion from the retention list was the most surprising one as he was the captain of the side in IPL 2024. He also made a comeback to competitive cricket after a horrific car accident with Delhi Capitals (DC). He even attended the IPL 2024 mini-auction in Dubai alongside the owners of the team.

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Pant was rumored to join the new team ahead of IPL 2025 and the same looks possible with him featuring in the auction. Moreover, the fans are mulling over his possible induction into the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp as a replacement for MS Dhoni, given that the veteran has decided to hang his boots in the future. It is worth noting that Pant was retained by DC for INR 16 crores in 2024.

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