With less than two days remaining for the franchises to submit their retention list, a strange situation arises in which the captains of the previous season have the possibility to take part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. It includes the names of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer.
The IPL Governing Council (GC) has stated new regulations where all ten teams are permitted with six retentions having the option to use a Right to Match (RTM) card during the auction or retain them directly ahead of the grand event. Interestingly, each franchise has the flexibility to keep a maximum of five capped players (including Indians and foreigners) and two uncapped Indian players, altering the combinations based on the maximum limit of upto six retentions.
Especially, the RTM rule builds the excitement to the next level and allows teams to bring back their released players by matching the highest possible bid. However, the number of RTM options available depends upon the direct retentions ahead of the auction such as:
- 6 Direct Retentions: No RTM
- 5 Direct Retentions:1 RTM
- 4 Direct Retentions: 2 RTMs
- 3 Direct Retentions: 3 RTMs
Most importantly, a franchise entering the mega auction has the option to use 6 RTM cards only if:
- No players are retained ahead of the auction
- The retention list was not submitted on or before the last date (October 31 until 5 pm IST).
Let’s take a closer look at the three key captains who are expected to participate in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
KL Rahul:
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul with a composed performance on the field has been under the radar of the franchise for his slow batting approach and lack of spark in his leadership skills.
There are speculations that Rahul might move to a new franchise as he earlier spoke about his keenness for batting in the middle order rather than an opener. Earlier, LSG was unwilling to accept this change in KL’s batting position due to the team’s line-up.
However, the decision to go separate with Rahul and appoint a new captain highlights the huge concerns of the LSG management regarding his poor strike rate, which doesn’t align according to a fast-paced T20 format.
With a target set on the future to win their first IPL trophy, LSG wouldn’t go for the RTM option to get back KL Rahul into the squad. Rather, the franchise would plan to retain young capped players such as Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, and Nicholas Pooran along with the other two uncapped players namely Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan.
Rishabh Pant:
The Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant set the social media on fire with his strange post indicating his possible role in the auction. He posted with a caption saying that: “If I enter the IPL 2025 mega auction, will I be sold or not? If YES! Then for how much would I be sold?”
The 27-year-old wicketkeeper and batter not only created curiosity among fans but also hinted at a few issues to the DC management. As a result, the management is supposed to respond to his concerns and solve them as well as be cautious not to disturb the team’s harmony.
Additionally, DC can make use of the RTM card to retain Pant if he enters the auction, thereby providing strategic financial benefits. If the franchise allows him to participate in the mega event, they might secure him even for a lower price and avoid getting into a highly intense bidding war with other competitors.
Earlier, Pant was said to have made suggestions about a specific coaching staff to recruit them into the team. But the franchise’s final choice diverged from his requests and selected a low-profile coaching staff by remaining confident over their selections.
However, in the final conversations with Pant, DC management showed their support but also made it clear that they want to strictly adhere to their own coaching plans, thereby focusing on maintaining things steady rather than welcoming big names.
Teams such as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are constantly searching for a new skipper. If Pant enters the auction, these three franchises are ready to offer lucrative amounts to the talented cricketer with his proven leadership skills.
Shreyas Iyer:
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain guided his team to lift the IPL 2024 trophy. But, his inconsistent form with the bat poses uncertainty about his future with the three-time champions.
Although Iyer has shown brilliant leadership skills, the star West Indies players such as Andre Russell and Sunil Narine might pose difficulties in solidifying his spot in the retained list.
Furthermore, the reports have claimed that KKR might consider Andre Russell as their first retention and Iyer has voiced contrasting views about the move. If the situation doesn’t seem to be favorable, Shreyas might take part along with Pant and Rahul in the mega auction.
Suppose, Shreyas Iyer is retained in the squad, then KKR will find themselves in a dilemma of whether to retain the captain or prioritize high-profile players who are in the best form. Overall, the latest retention policy might provide flexibility to KKR by using the RTM option, which could allow them to acquire his services back, even if he manages to receive high bids during the auction.