5 Worst retention by franchises before IPL 2025 mega auction

On October 31, all Indian Premier League (IPL) teams finalized their player retentions ahead of the 2025 mega-auction. The announcement became a topic of discussion as many players made it to the cut while some big names were omitted from the list.  

The most surprising choice was Chennai Super Kings' decision to retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player for a mere INR 4 crore. Notable exits included the likes of KL Rahul from Lucknow Super Giants, Rishabh Pant from Delhi Capitals, and Shreyas Iyer from Kolkata Knight Riders. With 46 players retained across ten teams for a whopping INR 558.5 crore, some franchises may have overcommitted their purses.

The aggressive approach by KKR and RR, retaining six players each, could limit their flexibility in the auction. With a salary cap of INR 120 crore for a 25-member squad, these teams might struggle to build a balanced line-up. In contrast, Punjab Kings' conservative approach of retaining just two players, will give them the largest auction purse. This could be important in the upcoming mega auction, where teams will fight for released stars like Pant, Rahul, and Iyer.

Meanwhile, many fans are also upset about some retention choices by their favourite teams. Though some stuck to their core groups, the others made some interesting choices by picking their players. Here are the five worst retentions of IPL 2025. 

Here are the five worst retentions by franchises before the IPL 2025 mega auction:

5. Prabhsimran Singh (Punjab KIngs - INR 4 Crore):

One of the most surprising retentions was made by, the Punjab Kings, who got the services of wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh for INR 4 crore ahead of the mega auction. The decision raised eyebrows considering the franchise releasing several star players including Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran. With several teams opting to give huge cheques to players, the side going for a conservative intent wasn't much praised by the fans.

Prabhsimran's retention shows Punjab's faith in the young talent after scoring 756 runs in 32 matches at a strike rate of 146.23. Under new head coach Ricky Ponting, PBKS seems to be taking a fresh approach, retaining only two uncapped players,  Prabhsimran and Shashank Singh (INR 5.5 Crore). With the largest auction purse of INR 110.5 crore under their belt, which could either prove to be a master-stroke or a massive gamble.