As the excitement for IPL 2025 builds, franchises have strategically decided on player retentions and releases, creating a dynamic pool of players for the mega auction. With top players entering the bidding fray, this season’s auction in Dubai promises to be one of the most anticipated events yet. Big names like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Pat Cummins have been retained, while some surprising releases, including Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Mitchell Starc, are now up for grabs. Here’s everything you need to know about the available players and the IPL 2025 retention strategy of each team.
IPL 2025 Mega Auction: The Retained Stars and New Opportunities
IPL 2025, As defending champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made headlines by releasing Shreyas Iyer, their title-winning captain. Yet, they ensured a strong foundation by utilizing all six retention spots on key players. Other teams, such as Rajasthan Royals (RR), opted to hold on to a solid core, creating an interesting mix of seasoned players and promising talents in the auction pool.
Below is a comprehensive list of released players for each team, setting the stage for the IPL 2025 auction.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Released Players
Key Releases: Ajinkya Rahane, Deepak Chahar, Moeen Ali*, Mitchell Santner*
CSK surprised many by releasing experienced talents for IPL 2025, including Ajinkya Rahane and Deepak Chahar. Other notable foreign players, such as Moeen Ali and Mitchell Santner, were also let go, providing other franchises a chance to bring in versatile all-rounders.
Complete List:
- Ajay Mandal, Ajinkya Rahane, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway*, Maheesh Theekshana*, Mitchell Santner*, Moeen Ali*, Mukesh Choudhary, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shaik Rasheed, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Rachin Ravindra*, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell*, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman*, Avanish Rao Aravelly
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Released Players
Key Releases: Shreyas Iyer, Mitchell Starc*, Nitish Rana
KKR’s decision to release Shreyas Iyer created buzz in the IPL circuit, as the former captain will likely attract high bids. Australian speedster Mitchell Starc and key batsman Nitish Rana are also part of this season’s competitive auction pool.
Complete List:
- Shreyas Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz*, Nitish Rana, Sherfane Rutherford*, Phil Salt*, KS Bharat, Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Suyash Sharma, Allah Ghazanfar*, Dushmantha Chameera*, Sakib Hussain, Vaibhav Arora, Mitchell Starc*, Chetan Sakariya
Delhi Capitals (DC) Released Players
Key Releases: Rishabh Pant, David Warner* (retired), Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh*
DC’s release of high-profile players like Rishabh Pant and David Warner signals a rebuilding phase. With a core of young and foreign talent released, DC is expected to bring in new faces through the auction to reinforce their squad.
Complete List:
- Anrich Nortje*, David Warner* (retired), Ishant Sharma, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh*, Mukesh Kumar, Pravin Dubey, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Vicky Ostwal, Yash Dhull, Harry Brook*, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson*, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope*, Swastik Chhikara, Jake Fraser-McGurk*
Gujarat Titans (GT) Released Players
Key Releases: David Miller*, Mohammad Shami, Kane Williamson*
GT let go of top players like David Miller and Kane Williamson, setting the stage for possible exciting buys. Key Indian pacer Mohammad Shami also joins the auction pool.
Complete List:
- BR Sharath, Abhinav Manohar, Sandeep Warrier, Gurnoor Brar, Darshan Nalkande, David Miller*, Jayant Yadav, Joshua Little*, Kane Williamson*, Matthew Wade*, Mohammad Shami, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad*, Sai Kishore, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Azmatullah Omarzai*, Umesh Yadav, Sushant Mishra, Kartik Tyagi
Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG) Released Players
Key Releases: KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis*, Quinton de Kock*
The departure of captain KL Rahul and star all-rounder Marcus Stoinis marks a significant shift for LSG, who are likely to pursue new leadership and all-round options in the auction.
Complete List:
- KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Quinton de Kock*, Ashton Turner*, Deepak Hooda, Krishnappa Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Kyle Mayers*, Marcus Stoinis*, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Prerak Mankad, Yudhvir Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, David Willey*, Shivam Mavi, Shamar Joseph*, Matt Henry*
Mumbai Indians (MI) Released Players
Key Releases: Dewald Brevis*, Ishan Kishan, Romario Shepherd*
MI’s decision to release young talents like Dewald Brevis and experienced hitters such as Romario Shepherd indicates they may look to bolster their squad with fresh international stars.
Complete List:
- Dewald Brevis*, Ishan Kishan, Harvik Desai, Tim David*, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohammad Nabi*, Romario Shepherd*, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Gerald Coetzee*, Anshul Kamboj, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma
Punjab Kings (PBKS) Released Players
Key Releases: Shikhar Dhawan (retired), Liam Livingstone*, Chris Woakes*
The retirement of Shikhar Dhawan and release of big hitters like Liam Livingstone will open up opportunities for Punjab Kings to restructure and potentially attract new international players.
Complete List:
- Shikhar Dhawan (retired), Jitesh Sharma, Jonny Bairstow*, Liam Livingstone*, Harpreet Bhatia, Rilee Rossouw*, Chris Woakes*, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Tanay Thyagarajan, Atharva Taide
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Released Players
Key Releases: Faf du Plessis*, Glenn Maxwell*, Cameron Green*
RCB’s release of star players such as Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell hints at a possible shift in their approach to this season’s mega auction, potentially focusing on new power hitters and bowlers.
Complete List:
- Faf du Plessis*, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (retired), Suyash S Prabhudessai, Will Jacks*, Saurav Chauhan, Glenn Maxwell*, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Cameron Green*, Swapnil Singh
Rajasthan Royals (RR) Released Players
Key Releases: Jos Buttler*, Ravichandran Ashwin, Avesh Khan
RR released experienced international players like Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin, as well as fast bowler Avesh Khan, creating slots for potential international and young talents.
Complete List:
- Jos Buttler*, Kunal Rathore, Donovan Ferreira*, Rovman Powell*, Shubham Dubey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore*, Ravichandran Ashwin, Tanush Kotian, Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Keshav Maharaj*
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Released Players
Key Releases: Aiden Markram*, Glenn Phillips*, Mayank Agarwal
SRH released several high-profile names, including captain Aiden Markram, creating opportunities for major shifts in team strategy.
Complete List:
- Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram*, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips*, Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Singh Yadav, Marco Jansen*, Washington Sundar
The IPL 2025 Mega Auction promises fierce bidding and exciting team revamps. With big names entering the auction pool, franchisees have the opportunity to bring new talent and create balanced squads for the upcoming season. The upcoming auction will not only highlight key players but could also reshape team strategies for a fresh IPL season ahead.