IPL 2025: List of all teams' squad size, salary cap and available slots after retentions

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 retention window has closed with a bang, with franchises making history during their retention announcements on Thursday, October 31. The IPL Governing Council in their retention rules allowed teams to retain up to six players, making it the highest-ever allowance before a mega-auction.

The announcement witnessed many players making headlines with their inclusions and exclusions from the respective team's retention lists. South African batter Heinrich Klaasen surpassed Virat Kohli's long-standing retention record, with a whopping INR 23 crore from Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

The retention announcement also saw some notable omissions, with the likes of Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer released. Additionally, Chennai Super Kings retained their legendary player MS Dhoni as an uncapped player for just INR 4 crore.
 
Interestingly, 46 players were retained across 10 teams, with franchises collectively spending INR 558.5 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals went all-in, retaining their maximum quota of six players each. Five teams, including the most successful teams CSK and Mumbai Indians, held onto five players each.

The teams will now shape their auction strategies to build their 25-member squads within an INR 120 crore salary cap. Punjab Kings who retained just two players, will walk in with the biggest auction purse.

IPL 2025: Squad Size/Salary Cap/Available Slots (Team-wise)

10. Kolkata Knight Riders

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have retained six key players who formed the backbone of their previous victorious campaign.

KKR placed its biggest bet on finisher Rinku Singh, with a whopping INR 13 crore. The franchise also kept faith in their experienced Caribbean match-winners, with both Sunil Narine and Andre Russell retained at INR 12 crore each, also making them their two overseas players. Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who has been crucial to KKR's bowling line-up, has been retained at the same price tag.

KKR has also invested in future talent by retaining two uncapped players in the form of Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh for INR 4 crore each. The side will have no Right-to-Match cards at the auction, having retained six players.

Total Money spent - INR 69 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 51 Crore

Available Slots - 19

Overseas Slots - 6

9. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru opted to retain just three players, as they are in search of its maiden IPL trophy. Star batter Virat Kohli remains the crucial aspect of RCB's plans as they got his services back for INR 21 crore.

The franchise has also shown faith in Rajat Patidar, retaining him for INR 11 crore after his impressive performances in recent seasons. The side has gone with uncapped pacer Yash Dayal at INR 5 crore as their third pick. The Bengaluru-based side did not retain any overseas retentions and will have three Right-to-Match cards available at the auction.

Meanwhile, fan favorites Mohammad Siraj, Glenn Maxwell, and captain Faf du Plessis have been omitted and will head to the auction pool. In the previous edition, RCB made it to the Playoffs after a brilliant six-match winning streak but suffered a defeat to Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator.

Total Money spent - INR 37 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 83 Crore

Available Slots - 22

Overseas Slots - 8

8. Chennai Super Kings

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings revealed their retention choices for the upcoming season, with some surprising decisions.

CSK has shown equal faith in their young skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, retaining both at INR 18 crore each. The franchise has also got the services of legendary wicket-keeper batter MS Dhoni as an uncapped player at INR 4 crore. By this, the team has not only retained the iconic player but has also increased their salary purse for the upcoming auction.

The franchise has also shown its trust in young Sri Lankan sensation Matheesha Pathirana, securing him for INR 13 crore, making their only overseas retention. All-rounder Shivam Dube, who had a brilliant season last year, has been retained for INR 12 crore. Meanwhile, the side only has one Right-to-Match card available.

Surprisingly, they excluded the New Zealand stars Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, along with England's Moeen Ali and their ace bowler Deepak Chahar.

Total Money spent - INR 65 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 55 Crore

Available Slots - 20

Overseas Slots - 7

7. Punjab Kings

The Preity Zinta-co-owned Punjab Kings (PBKS) has opted for a complete restructuring ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The franchise, which has struggled to find its footing for quite some time, will enter the auction with the highest budget of INR 110.5 crore. The franchise made the surprising decision to retain just two uncapped Indian players namely, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh for INR 5.5 crore and INR 4 crore, respectively. 

With veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan announcing his retirement, the Kings have the leadership spot up for grabs. They also brought in Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting as their new head coach, The most striking aspect of their strategy is the release big names like Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, and Arshdeep Singh. Furthermore, the franchise has kept four Right to Match (RTM) cards under its belt for the mega auction.

Total Money spent - INR 9.5 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 110.5 Crore

Available Slots - 23

Overseas Slots - 8

6. Lucknow Super Giants

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have bid farewell to their captain KL Rahul, and have opted for five retentions ahead of IPL 2025 mega-auction. West Indies' hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran is LSG's marquee retention with a staggering INR 21 crore price tag, making him their only overseas retention player. 

The franchise has shown tremendous faith in their young talents, retaining the express pace sensation Mayank Yadav and the leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for INR 11 crore each. The retention of uncapped players Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni, for INR 4 crore each, forms their core group this season.

LSG also decided to let go of Quinton de Kock, Krunal Pandya, and Deepak Hooda. With one RTM card in hand, the Super Giants will look to make strong decisions in the auction.

Total Money spent - INR 51 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 69 Crore

Available Slots - 20

Overseas Slots - 7

5. Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans have opted to retain Afghan sensation Rashid Khan as their highest-paid player over new captain Shubman Gill ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The star leg spinner has been retained for INR 18 crore and is the only overseas retention as Gill took a pay cut and has been acquired for INR 16.5 crore. Upcoming star B Sai Sudharshan has also been secured for INR 8.5 crore, strengthening the team's top order. The most intriguing retentions are the uncapped duo of Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan for INR 4 crore each. 

Meanwhile, the Titans have made some bold choices, letting go of key performers including veteran pacer Mohammed Shami and the consistent David Miller. The team has also parted ways with Mohit Sharma, despite his impressive haul of 40 wickets over two seasons. The franchise has kept one Right to Match (RTM) card for the mega auction.

Total Money spent - INR 51 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 69 Crore

Available Slots - 20

Overseas Slots - 7

4. Mumbai Indians

Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians announced their retention list for the 2025 season, and have kept their group of players to carry the legacy of the franchise. The team has chosen to retain five players and has stuck with Hardik Pandya as captain despite a challenging season in 2024, retaining him for INR 16.35 crore.

Jasprit Bumrah is the highest-paid retained player for INR 18 crore while former captain Rohit Sharma, who led the team to all five titles, is the fourth-highest-paid retained player with INR 16.30 crore. The explosive Suryakumar Yadav and young sensation Tilak Varma round out the top five retentions with INR 16.35 crore and INR 8 crore, respectively.

The most notable omission is that of Ishan Kishan, who has been a crucial part of MI's success story since 2018, including their title-winning campaigns in 2019 and 2020. The franchise has also bid farewell to overseas stars Tim David, Dewald Brevis, and Gerald Coetzee, along with young domestic talents like Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir. With one Right-to-Match card in hand and several spots to fill, Mumbai Indians are set to secure their sixth IPL trophy.

Total Money spent - INR 75 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 45 Crore

Available Slots - 20

Overseas Slots - 8

3. Rajasthan Royals

Innagural IPL champions, Rajasthan Royals have made some startling decisions ahead of the mega 2025 auction. The franchise has parted ways with English skipper Jos Buttler and spin wizards Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin ahead of the upcoming season.

The Royals have placed their faith in captain Sanju Samson and young sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal for a hefty retention fee of INR 18 crore each. They've invested significantly in youngsters Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel, retaining them for INR 14 crore each.

Caribbean hard-hitter Shimron Hetmyer is the lone overseas retention, with INR 11 Crore. The franchise has picked Sandeep Sharma as their only uncapped retained bowler for INR 4 crore. The side who have let go of star bowler Trent Boult will come in with no Right-to-Match card.

Total Money spent - INR 79 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 41 Crore

Available Slots - 19

Overseas Slots - 7

2. Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals have chosen to retain four players for the 2025 season and have parted ways with their captain Rishabh Pant, ending a nine-year partnership. The Capitals have instead chosen to retain spin wizards Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as their marquee players, with Axar commanding top retention of INR 16.5 Crore and Kuldeep securing a fee of INR 13.25 Crore. The team has also kept faith in South African hitter Tristan Stubbs as their only overseas retained player for INR 10 Crore. Meanwhile, young talent Abishek Porel is the side's uncapped retention choice for INR 4 Crore. 

The side has also released Jake Fraser-McGurk, whose batting lit up IPL 2024 with a tournament-best strike rate of 234.04. Established stars like David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Anrich Nortje have also ended their stint with the franchise. The coaching setup has also seen a major shake-up, with Hemang Badani stepping in to replace Ricky Ponting as head coach, supported by Venugopal Rao. Interestingly, the side will have two Right-to-Match cards in hand available. 

Total Money spent - INR 47 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 73 Crore

Available Slots - 21

Overseas Slots - 7

1. Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad have stuck to their core group for the coming season as they retained five players. SRH made IPL history by retaining Heinrich Klaasen for INR 23 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The South African wicketkeeper-batter's retention is the highest-ever fee in the league's history.

Fresh from their remarkable runner-up finish in IPL 2024, the Sunrisers have also kept faith in their captain Pat Cummins, who has taken an INR two crore pay cut to help balance the books, with his current fee standing at INR 18 Crore. 

The franchise has also kept the services of batting sensation Travis Head for INR 14 crore, along with Indian talents Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Reddy for INR 14 Crore and INR 6 Crore, respectively. However, the retention list sees the departure of veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who loyally served the franchise since 2014. Meanwhile, the 2016 champions have one Right-to-Match card available.

Total Money spent - INR 75 Crore

Salary Cap available - INR 45 Crore

Available Slots - 20

Overseas Slots - 5