IPL 2025 Retention: Rishabh Pant vs Shreyas Iyer vs KL Rahul, which franchise will grab them as IPL captain at forthcoming auction!

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IPL 2025 Retention: So, now, it is clear three former Indian IPL captains are ready to risk it when they are thrown into the IPL 2025 auction pool next month in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. No guesswork, no suspense.

It is clear Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have taken a big risk by coming into the auction pool. Cricket fans are already calculating how much money each franchise is left with after the retentions were announced on Thursday (October 31).

Mumbai Indians have shown respect for continuity by retaining Hardik Pandya as captain. At the same time, MI have also retained Rohit Sharma, who won them five IPL titles, Test vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav, the current T20 India captain.

After all the muck-raking last season and trolling which Hardik Pandya faced last season, it is good the photo posted by the MI handle shows him in the centre, flanked by Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah and Surya. This is not just a PR stunt. It shows MI are serious about presenting a unified image.

The same holds for Chennai Super Kings as well, where Ruturaj Gaikwad is captain with Ravindra Jadeja and evergreen MS Dhoni retained. The kind of clarity shown by MI and CSK is good, though RCB have also done well to retain King Kohli as the highest Indian in terms of retention value.

All Eyes on Pant, Iyer, Rahul

Now comes the big twist, where will Pant, Shreyas and KL Rahul head? There has been massive speculation on Pant, and he himself must be enjoying it. Pant, obviously will not go to any IPL side just as a player. People will talk of a less purse with some teams, but Pant has that massive zing.

Any side will want to grab him at the auction. He can go to RCB, KKR and even Lucknow. There will be a bidding war for sure and Pant is ready to enjoy it. Anyone who has followed Pant knows he is a cricketer who loves risks.

He takes challenges head on and he loves being the perpetual challenger. His persona is just like the cricket he plays. Obviously, RCB can be a good destination for him. Pant knows Kohli well and the two can tango.

Pant can also head to KKR like Gautam Gambhir, who had left Delhi. Everyone knows, the decision will be made by Pant as well, since this is going to be for three years, from 2025 to 2027. Pant has no fear and qualms about what he is doing. If some are portraying him as some kind of a mercenary, nothing wrong. He is a professional and deserves to become a big crorepati.

So, what happens to Shreyas Iyer? He was supposed to be Delhi Capitals captain long ago. Can he still force him into reckoning with GMR, who now controls the franchise? For all those who feel Shreyas is not part of an Indian team, what he did as KKR-winning captain this year cannot be forgotten. Gambhir may have been a mentor, but on the field, Shreyas has proved himself. One should not be surprised if there is a face-off between Pant and Shreyas for leadership roles in similar franchises.

Sadly, KL Rahul finds himself placed even more precariously. He did not have a good outing at Lucknow Super Giants, a side which has believed in hire and fire. Don't forget, they had sacked Gambhir as well.

Still, Rahul is ready to take the risk and has opted for the route through auctions. He has already been with Punjab Kings, so again, Rahul is a challenger. Imagine, Pant, Shreyas and Rahul, all vying for similar jobs. It's all out in the open. No secret!