IPL 2025 Retention: List of Players Retained by Rajasthan Royals Ahead of IPL Mega Auction Over The Years

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With the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council announcing the player regulations for 2025-27 cycle, including the much-awaited rules for retentions, inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be one of the busiest franchise in the next few weeks.

As per the IPL retention rules, teams can retain a total of 6 players from their existing squad either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) card. This means teams can also opt to release all their players and use the RTM at the IPL mega auction.

The retention is also limited to a maximum of 5 capped players (either Indian or overseas), and a maximum of 2 uncapped players. The uncapped rule also has a new twist with an old rule returning after three years and it could benefit the Royals.

As per the re-instated uncapped rule, a capped Indian player will become uncapped, if the player has not played International Cricket or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI in last five calendar years. This rule existed from 2008 to 2021 before being scrapped.

Rajasthan Royals could be one of several teams that could benefit from the move as it allows them a chance to retain someone like Sandeep Sharma as an uncapped player at Rs 4 Crore.

The Punjab pacer, who last played for India back in 2015, did well in the past two seasons, coming in as a replacement player in 2023, and is likely to be retained by RR.

RR like most teams may opt to retain four players and use two RTM cards at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, scheduled to be held later this year either in November or December. The deadline for teams to announce their retentions is on October 31, 2024.

RR's Likely Retentions For 2025

• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Sanju Samson
• Riyan Parag
• Sandeep Sharma

RR have been part of every IPL edition since the league’s inception 2008, bar the 2016 and 2017 editions when they were banned along with Chennai Super Kings. They have, however, been part of the retention process ahead of every mega auction held so far in IPL history.

The inaugural champs have retained at least one player before every mega auction and also bought back most of their former players during the bidding process with a view to keep the core together.

A mega auction has been held in 2011, 2014, 2018 and most recently in 2022, editions in which teams have gone through big changes. Here is a look at list of players who RR retained ahead of those mega auctions.

RR Retained Player List Before IPL 2011 Mega Auction

Ahead of the first-ever IPL mega auction in 2011, RR retained two players – Australia spin legend Shane Warne, who captained them to their only IPL total so far, for $1.8 Million US Dollars. They also retained Australian all-rounder Shane Watson for $1.2 Millions US Dollars.

RR Retained Player List Before IPL 2014 Mega Auction

In 2014, RR opted to retain five players in the form of Watson, James Faulkner, Ajinkya Rahane, Samson and Stuart Binny. Watson was retained for the biggest slab of Rs 12.50 Crore.

Meanwhile, Faulkner, Rahane, Binny and Samson were retained for Rs 9.50 Crore, Rs 7.50 Crore, Rs 5.50 Crore and Rs 4 Crore respectively. They also bought back spinner Pravin Tambe for Rs 10 Lakh using the RTM card.

RR Retained Player List Before IPL 2018 Mega Auction

In 2018, RR opted for just one retention in the form of Australia star batter Steve Smith. Smith was retained for Rs 12 Crore, but an extra Rs 50 Lakh was deducted from the RR purse due to the retention slab rules.

RR also used the RTM cards to buy back Rahane, who was also named the skipper for the season, by matching the winning bid of Rs 4 Crore. They also bought back pacer Dhawal Kulkarni using RTM for Rs 75 Lakh.

RR Retained Player List Before IPL 2022 Mega Auction

In 2022 when two new teams joined the league, Rajasthan Royals retained Samson for their highest slab of Rs 14 Crore, and Jos Buttler at their second highest slab of Rs 10 Crore as well as then uncapped batter Yashasvi Jaiswal for Rs 4 Crore.