Rajasthan Royals likely to retain Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction

Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag and Sandeep Sharma are the four players who will likely be retained by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise on Monday ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. These retentions will leave the 2008 champions with two right-to-match (RTM) card options at the upcoming mega auction.

All four players mentioned above (Samson, Jaiswal, Parag and Sandeep) had an exceptional season this year as they delivered fine contributions for their side. The Rajasthan skipper, Samson scored 531 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.27 and at a strike rate of 153.47, with three half-centuries. His best score in the league was 82*.

In 16 matches in the 2024 season for RR, Jaiswal has scored 225 runs at an average of 32.14 and a strike rate of 157.34, with a fifty and a century each. In the 17th edition of the cash-rich league, Parag scored 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.22. He has hit four half-centuries this season, with the best score of 84*. He is the third-highest run-scorer in the season. Sandeep ended the IPL 2024 season with 13 wickets under his belt in 11 matches at an economy of 8.18 and a strike rate of 17.54.

Thursday, October 31 is the deadline by which all the franchises are supposed to submit the list of their retained players ahead of the mega auction. Each team can retain six players, out of which a maximum of five can be capped and two uncapped. This can be either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.

The auction purse for the franchises has been set at Rs 120 Crore for IPL 2025. The total salary cap will now consist of an auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. Previously in 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + incremental performance pay) was Rs. 110 Crs which will now be Rs. 146 Crs (2025), Rs. 151 Crs (2026) and Rs. 157 Crs (2027). A match fee has been introduced for the first time in the history of IPL. Each Playing member (Including the Impact Player) will get a match fee of Rs 7.5 Lakhs per match. This will be in addition to his contracted amount.

The IPL's governing body has set minimum deductions from the purse for each player retained, with Rs 18 crores for the first player, Rs 14 crores for the second, Rs 11 crores for the third, Rs 18 crores for the fourth, Rs 14 crores for the fifth and Rs 4 crores for an uncapped player. Franchises are free to give their players more or less of these amounts to the players retained by them. (ANI)