The IPL Mega Auction 2025 is set to be a game-changing event, with all ten franchises competing to build the strongest possible teams for the upcoming season. Scheduled before the season launch, this auction will feature a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh talent from both domestic and international cricket. Fans can expect major shifts in team compositions as franchises aim to revamp their lineups with top players.
Ahead of the auction, each franchise revealed its retentions, with notable moves that include Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul being released by their respective teams. Another significant exit was Rishabh Pant, who parted ways with Delhi Capitals after nearly a decade. In a surprising decision, the Punjab Kings once again reset their squad, retaining only two uncapped players, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh.
The official retention slabs were set at various levels—Rs 18 crore, Rs 14 crore, Rs 11 crore, and Rs 4 crore for uncapped players—totaling Rs 75 crore for five retained players. Teams had to adjust their budgets accordingly, with any retention exceeding Rs 75 crore requiring additional payments. For instance, while KKR paid Rs 49 crore for its top four retained players, they still had to allocate Rs 61 crore due to the specific slab requirements.
Here’s a look at each franchise's remaining budget as they enter the auction:
Purse Left for Each IPL FranchiseKolkata Knight Riders (KKR) - Rs 51 croreRetentions: Sunil Narine (12), Rinku Singh (13), Andre Russell (12), Varun Chakaravarthy (12), Harshit Rana (4), Ramandeep Singh (4).
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) - Rs 45 croreRetentions: Heinrich Klaasen (23), Pat Cummins (18), Travis Head (14), Abhishek Sharma (14), Nitish Kumar Reddy (6).
Rajasthan Royals (RR) - Rs 41 croreRetentions: Sanju Samson (18), Riyan Parag (14), Yashasvi Jaiswal (18), Sandeep Sharma (4), Dhruv Jurel (14), Shimron Hetmyer (11).
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) - Rs 83 croreRetentions: Virat Kohli (21), Rajat Patidar (11), Yash Dayal (5).
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - Rs 55 croreRetentions: Ruturaj Gaikwad (18), MS Dhoni (4), Ravindra Jadeja (18), Shivam Dube (12), Matheesha Pathirana (13).
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) - Rs 69 croreRetentions: Nicholas Pooran (21), Mayank Yadav (11), Ravi Bishnoi (4), Mohsin Khan (4), Ayush Badoni (4).
Gujarat Titans (GT) - Rs 69 croreRetentions: Rashid Khan (18), Shubman Gill (16.5), Sai Sudharsan (8.5), Rahul Tewatia (4), Shahrukh Khan (4).
Delhi Capitals (DC) - Rs 73 croreRetentions: Axar Patel (16.5), Abhishek Porel (4), Tristan Stubbs (10), Kuldeep Yadav (13.5).
Punjab Kings (PBKS) - Rs 110.5 croreRetentions: Shashank Singh (5.5), Prabhsimran Singh (4).
Mumbai Indians (MI) - Rs 45 croreRetentions: Rohit Sharma (16.3), Jasprit Bumrah (18), Suryakumar Yadav (16.35), Tilak Varma (8), Hardik Pandya (16.35).
With Punjab Kings holding the largest purse (Rs 110.5 crore) and Rajasthan Royals with the smallest (Rs 41 crore), the IPL 2025 Mega Auction promises exciting bidding wars and strategic selections that will shape the upcoming season.