IPL 2025 Confirmed 5 Retained Players List for Each Team

A total of 52 players in focus in our confirmed best retained squad and players list for all 10 teams for IPL 2025. 

A big news is out for the Indian Premier League fans, and that is about the IPL 2025 Player retention rules. Yes, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has almost finalized the player retention rules, and in a few days, the rules will be official. But as we wait for the rules to be official, we have an insider on this, and that is BCCI is going to announce teams to retain up to 5 players for IPL 2025. 

Retaining 5 players for IPL 2025 is a nice step up from IPL 2022, where only 4 players were allowed to retain. With 5 players expected to be allowed to retain, the teams will be given the freedom to choose a maximum of 3 Indians and 2 Overseas players. So, teams like LSG and SRH, which are Overseas players heavy will have to be satisfied with only 2 Overseas players. Whereas teams like MI and CSK will have to be satisfied with only 3 Indian players.

But with 5 players, teams will actually be able to retain a quality core, and build their team around that core in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. The Mega Auction will also see a lot of quality players to explore as teams won’t retain more than 50 players. So, expect another 50 more quality players that can attract superb bids. But before we get to the Auction, let’s in the meantime look at the top 5 players from each that will be confirmed to be retained for each team for IPL 2025. 

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

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
2. Ravindra Jadeja
3. MS Dhoni
4. Matheesha Pathirana (o)
5. Devon Conway (o)

As always, we start the list alphabetically with CSK being our first team. CSK’s Indian retentions look pretty straightforward. The team has Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni as their top 3 retentions. There’s Shivam Dube too, but unfortunately, he is fourth on the list, and thus won’t be allowed to retain. The main headache for CSK will be the retention of Overseas players. Among the current lot, Matheesha Pathirana and Devon Conway are looking as the best possible options. There’s Rachin Ravindra too, but Conway may be preferred above him given his experience. 

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

1. Rishabh Pant
2. Axar Patel
3. Kuldeep Yadav
4. Tristan Stubbs (o)
5. Jake Fraser-McGurk (o)

Delhi Capitals have the easiest three Indian retentions, and those are Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav. Without an iota of doubt, DC will retain these three Indians, but the main challenge for them will be to finalize two Overseas players. Among the current lot, they have options in the form of Tristan Stubbs, Jake Fraser-McGurk, David Warner, Anrich Nortje, and Mitchell Marsh. Between these five, DC are most-likely to choose Tristan Stubbs and Fraser-McGurk. Both are quality players, and retaining them will be the best choice. 

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

1. Shubman Gill
2. Rashid Khan (o)
3. Mohammed Shami
4. Sai Sudharshan
5. David Miller (o)

Similar to Delhi, Gujarat Titans have the easiest of three Indian retentions, and those are Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, and Sai Sudharsan. There’s quality written all over them, and will get retained by GT without a second thought. What’s more, the Overseas players’ selection should also not be an issue as GT will see Rashid Khan and David Miller as the two best options to retain. 

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

1. Shreyas Iyer
2. Andre Russell (o)
3. Sunil Narine (o)
4. Rinku Singh
5. Harshit Rana

Talking about KKR, four players will get retained without a second thought, and those are Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine. These four have been the backbone of KKR until IPL 2024, and they will continue to remain so in the future as well. The team will have a tough time selecting the fifth player as they have options in the form of Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy. But of the four, Harshit Rana, who is an Indian prospect seems an ideal option to retain above anyone else.     

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

1. KL Rahul
2. Nicholas Pooran (o)
3. Marcus Stoinis (o)
4. Mayank Yadav
5. Ravi Bishnoi 

Talking about LSG, the team will see KL Rahul as their top-choice retention with Nicholas Pooran being the second player in the ranks. Between De Kock and Stoinis, the team will mostly face the dilemma, but Stoinis is a better value-add overall. For the other two Indians, LSG will mostly go after the fiery Mayank Yadav, and India’s leading wrist spinner, Ravi Bishnoi. 

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

1. Hardik Pandya
2. Suryakumar Yadav
3. Jasprit Bumrah
4. Tim David (o)
5. Nuwan Thushara (o)

If there is one team that will be the most disappointed of the lot with the IPL 2025 Retention rules, it will be Mumbai Indians. There are as many as six quality Indian players in the MI team that they will retain without a second thought. But given the Auction dynamics, the team will have to let go off Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma. Instead, MI will retain Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah among Indian payers. Whereas for the Overseas players, MI will look at Tim David and Nuwan Thushara. 

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

1. Arshdeep Singh
2. Shashank Singh

Punjab Kings will be one team that will not utilize the full quota of retaining 5 players. The reason is not the quality of players, but it is the value at which they get retained, if at all they are. Hence, to avoid paying higher prices to not-so-deserving players, PBKS will retain only two players, and those are Arshdeep Singh and Shashank Singh. PBKS won’t mind paying 8-10 Cr to Arshdeep, and retain Shashank Singh at a lower price of an uncapped player.   

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

1. Sanju Samson
2. Jos Buttler (o)
3. Yashasvi Jaiswal
4. Riyan Parag
5. Trent Boult (o)

If we talk about the Rajasthan Royals, they have the simplest possible options when it comes to player retention. The team has Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Riyan Parag as quality Indian players to retain. Whereas for the two overseas players, look no other than Jos Buttler and Trent Boult.

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

1. Virat Kohli
2. Glenn Maxwell (o)
3. Mohammed Siraj
4. Faf du Plessis (o)
5. Rajat Patidar

RCB face no issues in finding their top 3 best Indian players to retain, but it is the two Overseas players that they will have a hard time finalising. Among the Indian players, the RCB team will have Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, and Rajat Patidar as their top 3 Indian players. But when it comes to Overseas players, Maxwell should get a nod above everyone, and if Faf is available for a couple of seasons more, then RCB should continue with their current Captain. 

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

1. Pat Cummins (o)
2. Heinrich Klaasen (o)
3. Abhishek Sharma
4. Nitish Reddy
5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Finally, for SRH, their biggest headache will be selecting two quality players among the quality bunch of Overseas players. They will have a hard time selecting those two names, but if I were the SRH management, I would select their Captain Pat Cummins and the World’s best finisher Heinrich Klaasen. The team can get Head in the Auction at whatever price they want. Meanwhile, for the Indian options, SRH will mostly look at Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. 

So, that’s about the confirmed best retained squad and players list for all 10 teams for IPL 2025. 

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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.