DC Retention List: Which 4 Players May Delhi Capitals Retain Ahead of IPL 2025 Auction?

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Delhi Capitals (DC) ended their IPL 2024 league stage campaign with a victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), finishing outside the top four with the slimmest of hopes for playoff qualification due to their negative Net Run Rate (NRR).

After topping the table in 2021, when they also reached as far as the second qualifier, Delhi Capitals have failed to qualify for the playoffs since the 2022 season after the last mega auction.

Ahead of the 2022 IPL Mega Auction, DC had retained the services of skipper Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw and Anrich Nortje. Now, after three disappointing seasons, DC will be tasked with making the right choices for their retentions ahead of the next mega auction.

IPL 2025 auction will be a mega one with teams reportedly being allowed only four retentions like the previous IPL Mega Auctions. However, there are reports that the franchise owners have requested the BCCI to allow each team up to 8 retentions.

While there is no official confirmation on how many retentions will be allowed ahead of IPL 2025 Mega Auction, it is very likely that a minimum of 4 players can be retained by each team. Plus, there could also be a Right To Match (RTM) card available for every team.

If only 4 players are allowed to be retained, then DC face a huge dilemma on who to release and retain ahead of the next auction as they look to assemble a squad that could end their title wait.

Which 4 players may Delhi Capitals retain ahead of IPL 2025 Auction?

There are several players who DC would like to retain, but will be forced to release many ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction which could take place before the next season anywhere between December 2024 and February 2025.

Rishabh Pant as the captain is likely to be the first retention for DC. But who among the likes of David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Shai Hope, Tristan Stubbs, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Anrich Notje, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed will join the skipper in retention?

Kuldeep Yadav, who has been bowling at his best in the last few years, is likely to be the next pick alongside Axar Patel. So, these three are likely to the be the Indian players who may be retained by DC before the next auction.

Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed and several other Indian stars may be looked at during the auction, while Prithvi Shaw's time at the franchise may have ended. Meanwhile, the biggest headache for DC will be with one other retention among the overseas stars.

Future of Warner is unclear as the Australian opener is set to bring down the curtains on his international career. Mitch Marsh, on the other hand, will be a tempting option, but DC may prioritize two other players.

DC will look at retaining either Stubbs and/or Fraser-McGurk. They may retain one and look to land the other with a right to match card at the auction. DC's director of cricket Sourav Ganguly has already hinted at the possibility of retaining Fraser-McGurk.

"I am sure he (Fraser-McGurk) will be up and ready. Teams will want him. We (DC) will want him for us in the future because he is a game-changer. That's what we need in this format. We will see how it goes," Ganguly had said during DC's last match. So, let's see the possible retention list of the Capitals:

DC Retention List 2025

• Rishabh Pant - retained
• Kuldeep Yadav - retained
• Axar Patel - retained
• Tristan Stubbs - retained/RTM
• Jake Fraser-McGurk - retained/RTM