With the auction retention rules out for IPL 2025, and the mega IPL auction coming up later this year, ESPNcricinfo spoke to Tom Moody on the ten teams' potential strategies…
Chennai Super Kings
Tom Moody joins the crew to discuss CSK's probable auction strategy
MS Dhoni falls in the uncapped category now, and there is little doubt that CSK will retain him. But who else do they keep? Ruturaj Gaikwad, possibly. Other attractive options are Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana. Jadeja, though, retired from T20Is earlier this year, and will be 36 by the start of the season.
Delhi Capitals
Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel automatic selections among ESPNcricinfo's crew
Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel look all but set to be retained by DC. But who else? Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Jake Fraser-McGurk might be options, but are they worth the money? They might also be tempted to hold on top Abishek Porel.
Gujarat Titans
Tom Moody joins the ESPNcricinfo crew to look at what Titans might do at the auction table
Mohammed Shami has been out of action for almost a year now, and is also 34. So, do GT retain him? They will almost certainly want Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan to stay with them. Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia, both uncapped, are also possibilities. But don't be surprised if they don't retain the maximum number possible.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Defending champions might have the toughest retention choices to make
KKR have Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Phil Salt, Rinku Singh and Shreyas Iyer among the big names as part of the squad which took them to the title in 2024. If that makes it tough, throw in Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh and Angkrish Raghuwanshi. They face perhaps the toughest of choices among all teams.
Lucknow Super Giants
Will they be tempted to pick two uncapped Indian players?
Last season, there were hints about KL Rahul not having the best of relationships with the LSG owners. So, in case LSG let him go, they will need a new captain. Could that be Nicholas Pooran? LSG have a call to make about Mayank Yadav, who is uncapped for now, but has been called up to India's squad for the T20Is against Bangladesh. There are also contenders like Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur and Ayush Badoni, all uncapped, all stars for the franchise.
Mumbai Indians
What about Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma and the uncapped players?
MI replaced Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain in 2024 and had a terrible season. Do both of them stay? If yes, who is the captain? Among other big names, MI have Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah to think about. There is also Ishan Kishan, who has been part of their core over the years.
Punjab Kings
Is Sam Curran worth retaining at INR 18 crore? Tom Moody joins the ESPNcricinfo crew to discuss
The list starts with Arshdeep Singh, and includes the uncapped Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh and Harpreet Brar. While Shashank and Ashutosh were PBKS' finds in 2024, Prabhsimran has performed well at the top, a position where Shikhar Dhawan's retirement has created a void. And, of course, they need a captain.
Rajasthan Royals
Which players are lock-ins apart from Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal?
While Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler have been performing for RR consistently, even young Riyan Parag made the step up in 2024. Among bowlers, RR have Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin and Trent Boult as the senior pros. How many of them will RR be desperate for? And will they be tempted to release Buttler, and get him back at the auction?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Tom Moody joins the ESPNcricinfo crew to discuss what RCB might do at the auction
Virat Kohli is all but certain to be retained. But will RCB go back to him as captain? Faf du Plessis has led them since 2022, but he has now turned 40. What about Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green? They also have to balance the side, so do RCB go for a bowling captain?
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Tom Moody joins the ESPNcricinfo crew to discuss SRH's potential retention strategy
Pat Cummins led them to the final in his first season in charge last year, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma sparkled at the top, and Heinrich Klaasen fired as a finisher. SRH made the final in 2024, and that was because of a settled, batting-heavy squad. However, Nitish Kumar Reddy's position could turn out to be tricky, given he is uncapped now, but is in India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, where he could make his debut.