IPL Auction 2025: Possible player retentions by Rajasthan Royals

At the 2022 Mega Auction, Rajasthan Royals had compiled a pretty good squad and good results followed. Under the leadership of Sanju Samson, the fortunes changed as Rajasthan Royals reached the playoffs twice in three seasons. 

In the last season, they, once again, had the chance to claim the trophy for the second time in the tournament’s history. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad knocked them out in the qualifier 2. Rajasthan woulnd’t be too happy with the prospect of another Mega Auction as they have to let go of some of their most valuable players. 

Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuvzevndra Chahal and the list goes on. They have the option to retain a maximum of six players, using a combination of direct retention and the ‘Right to Match' option. However, retaining five capped players would cost them 75 crores out of a total purse of INR 120. Under the new player retention rules announced by the Indian Premier League, each franchise can retain a maximum of six players, using a combination of direct retention and the ‘Right to Match' option. 

Interestingly, there is no bar on the number of overseas players being retained, this time around.  Also, a maximum of five capped and two uncapped players can be retained by each franchise. The purse has now been increased by 20 crores and each franchise has a total of INR 120 crore in the purse to make their complete squad. 

The IPL Governing Council has set 31st October as the deadline to finalize their retention. It will be interesting to see how many players RR would like to retain and how many they would want to acquire through the ‘Right to Match’ option. In this article, we will explore the possible retention options for Rajasthan Royals ahead of the Mega Auction. 

1. Sanju Samson 

There shouldn’t be any question regarding Sanju Samson being their first retention choice. Samson has shown great leadership skills and the franchise would want to build the team around him. He is likely to fetch INR 18 crore as the first retention choice for the franchise. 

Besides, Samson had an outstanding season with the bat. In 15 matches, he has managed to score 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47. 

2. Riyan Parag 

As per recent reports, Rajasthan Royals are keen to persist with Riyan Parag for the next season of the Indian Premier League. He is likely to be the second retention choice for the franchise. From making his debut in the IPL to playing for the Indian Cricket Team, Riyan Parag has, indeed, come a long way. 

The Rajasthan Royals batter made great returns with the bat, last season. In 16 matches, he amassed 573 runs at an average of 52.09. 

3. Yashasvi Jaiswal 

There is no way that Rajasthan Royals would be leaving a batter like Yashasvi Jaiswal. The young batter is touted to become one of the greats of the game. In a very short period, he has become a mainstay in the Indian Cricket Team across formats. 

Jaiswal has been a consistent run-getter for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. He is likely to be the third retention, bagging a hefty sum of 18 crores. Despite struggling last season, he managed to score close to 450 runs at an average of 30. 

What about Yuzvendra Chahal and Jos Buttler? 

Reports suggest that Rajasthan Royals are still in talks with Jos Buttler for the fourth retention option. Buttler hasn’t given a go-ahead as of now and there could be a chance that his name could be found in the auction table. Jos Buttler has been phenomenal for Rajasthan Royals, since making his debut in the 2018 edition. His best season came in the 2022 edition, where he scored 863 runs in 17 matches at an average of 57.53. 

As for Yuzvendra Chahal, Rajasthan Royals might use the ‘Right to Match’ option. Chahal is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history and the Royals wouldn’t want to lose him easily. However, given the budget constraints, the Royals are likely to use the RTM option. 

Notably, the Indian leg-spinner was brought into the side by Rajasthan Royals in the 2022 Mega Auction. Ahead of the 2024 edition, he could well be brought into the team again. Besides, the likes of Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin are set to be released by the franchise.