IPL 2025 Auction Best Possible RTM Players List for All 10 Teams

Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul in demand in our potential best RTM players list for all 10 teams for IPL 2025. 

Only a couple of weeks are left before the IPL 2025 Mega Auction kicks-off in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Mega Auctions are always unique as unlike Mini Auctions where only a handful of Overseas players are in focus, the Mega Auction has many players under the scanner, and the 2025 edition is actually going to witness an epic battle with many quality Indian players going under the hammer.

When the IPL 2025 retentions were announced, it was surprising to see many quality players not getting retained. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul were almost sure to get retained by the franchise, but were surprisingly left out of the squad. While not retaining them could mostly come down to the value the player must be asking to get retained, there is still a possibility of getting those players back in the Auction via RTM cards,

Barring two teams, the other 8 teams sill have RTM cards which can be used in the Auction to get back their existing players. For ease of our understanding, an RTM (Right to Match) card can be used on any existing franchise player to match the highest bid that has been made by the rival teams in the Auction. Having said that, let’s look at the list of potential RTM players that teams can target during the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. 

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

1. Devon Conway
2. Rachin Ravindra
3. Daryl Mitchell
4. Tushar Deshpande
5. Deepak Chahar
6. Mustafizur Rahman

RTM Spots Available: 1 // Purse Left: 55 Cr 

The Chennai Super Kings team retained 5 players, and they now have only 1 RTM card left. However, the quality of options they have to use RTM cards is plenty. Among the quality options in order, CSK will look at Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, and Daryl Mitchell as the top 3 options for using the RTM card. In all likelihood, CSK won’t spend more than 10 Cr for the RTM card.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Delhi Capitals (DC)

1. Rishabh Pant
2. Jake Fraser-McGurk
3. Mitchell Marsh
4. Khaleel Ahmed
5. Anrich Nortje

RTM Spots Available: 2 // Purse Left: 73 Cr 

Delhi Capitals shocked everyone when they released Rishabh Pant. The team retained only four players, and they can use two RTM cards in the Auction. So, there is still a big possibility of getting Rishabh Pant via RTM card. Other than Pant, Delhi will be eyeing Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mitchell Marsh, Khaleel Ahmed, or Anrich Nortje in the Auction via RTM card.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Gujarat Titans (GT)

1. Mohammed Shami
2. David Miller
3. Noor Ahmad

RTM Spots Available: 1 // Purse Left: 69 Cr 

Gujarat Titans Retained a total of 5 players in the Auction including two uncapped payers. So, the team now has only one RTM card left, and there are two solid options that Gujarat Titans can look to use the RTM card – Mohammed Shami and David Miller. Between the two, GT won’t mind spending 10 Cr for a player like Shami if he is fit and available.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

1. None

RTM Spots Available: 0 // Purse Left: 51 Cr 

The Kolkata Knight Riders team all their six players, and hence they don’t have any RTM cards left. So unfortunately, the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt, and Mitchell Starc can only be bought via a proper bidding war.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

1. KL Rahul
2. Quinton de Kock
3. Marcus Stoinis
4. Krunal Pandya

RTM Spots Available: 1 // Purse Left: 69 Cr 

Lucknow Super Giants released probably the upcoming most expensive player of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, and that’s KL Rahul. An IPL legend that KL Rahul is, LSG may still not use the RTM card in him. But with only one RTM card left, LSG may use that on either Quinton de Kock or Marcus Stoinis.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Mumbai Indians (MI)

1. Nehal Wadhera
2. Naman Dhir
3. Akash Madhwal

RTM Spots Available: 1 Uncapped // Purse Left: 45 Cr 

The Mumbai Indians team retained capped players, but surprisingly, didn’t find enough value in retaining any of the uncapped players for 4 Cr. So the team now has a space for one uncapped player, and there are three solid options available in the form of Nehal Wadhera, Akash Madhwal, and Naman Dhir. It would be interesting to see whom MI go after as all three are great add-ons to the team.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Punjab Kings (PBKS)

1. Arshdeep Singh
2. Sam Curran
3. Liam Livingstone
4. Jonny Bairstow
5. Kagiso Rabada
6. Harshal Patel
7. Jitesh Sharma
8. Rahul Chahar

RTM Spots Available: 4 // Purse Left: 110.5 Cr 

Punjab Kings retained only two uncapped players, and they have the maximum number of RTM slots left, 4 players. With four RTM slots left, the team also has solid options to explore. Among the quality players, the team be eying the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harshal Patel, Jonny Bairstow, and Jitesh Sharma.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Rajasthan Royals (RR)

1. None

RTM Spots Available: 0 // Purse Left: 41 Cr 

Rajasthan Royals are in the same boat as Kolkata Knight Riders as they don’t have any RTM slots left with 6 players being retained. Hence, RR will have to bid for the players like Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Trent Boult in the Auction.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

1. Glenn Maxwell
2. Mohammed Siraj
3. Faf du Plessis
4. Cameron Green
5. Will Jacks

RTM Spots Available: 3 // Purse Left: 83 Cr 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained only three players, and they now have a solid 3 slots left to use the RTM option for. There are also many quality options left for them to use the RTM cards. Among the quality options, RCB will look at the likes of Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Mohamed Siraj, Cammron Green, and Will Jacks for the RTM option.

IPL 2025 Best RTM Players List for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

1. Abdul Samad
2. Anmolpreet Singh

RTM Spots Available: 1 Uncapped // Purse Left: 45 Cr 

Finally, talking about Sunrisers Hyderabad, they have retained 5 capped players, and have only 1 uncapped player option left to use the RTM option on. They also don’t have many options with the best ones being Abdul Samad and Anmolpreet Singh.

Thanks for reading! What’s your take on the best RTM players list for all 10 teams for IPL 2025? Please share your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com

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Adesh Kothari

Adesh Kothari is the founder of AK4Tsay1 Cricalytics with over 20 years of experience following Cricket.

Cricket to him is like what Football is to Lionel Messi, Singing is to Lata Mangeshkar, Dancing is to Michael Jackson, and Acting is to Clint Eastwood.

Besides his effervescent love for Cricket, Adesh is an MBA by qualification.