The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have been among the best teams in terms of performance, but they have not been able to go all the way since winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) championship in the first season. RR fared admirably in the previous iteration (IPL 2024), also led by Sanju Samson. They dominated the first part of the season but could not maintain their pace and faltered later.

Although they made the playoffs, they ended third after losing Qualifier 2 to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite the uneven results, RR may be optimistic as they prepare for 2025, building on what they learned from the 2024 season, which was a significant learning curve for the team. From a robust and complete squad, here are the three probable retentions by the inaugural IPL champions.

Sanju Samson

Rajasthan Royals' skipper Sanju Samson is expected to be the top pick for retention for apparent reasons. Samson has been instrumental in RR's success thus far. Samson is also the franchise's captain, and his club is doing exceptionally well this season.

As captain, the explosive right-hander has effectively led the squad while excelling with the bat, ranking among the franchise's most consistent run scorers. Last season, Samson scored 531 runs at 48.27 average and 153.46 strike rate, including five half-centuries. Samson's leadership and batting abilities make him a vital squad member.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal, the young Indian opener, had a fantastic under-19 World Cup in 2020. His outstanding performance pleased the RR management, who signed him at the IPL auction that year. Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been given several opportunities and continually supported by the RR management. Since the past season, the investment of time and resources has begun to pay off.

Yashasvi's outstanding performance in the cash-rich league earned him a spot on the Indian squad, and he has excelled even at the top level. Though he had a mediocre time in the previous edition, he has scored 435 runs in 15 matches, with a half-century and a century. Still, Yashasvi Jaiswal has demonstrated that he is an integral element of the Royals' line-up, and there is little question that he will be one of the retainers of the inaugural champions. 

Also Read: Top 3 probable retentions by Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2025 IPL Mega Auctions

Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag is another name the Rajasthan Royals franchise will retain for the next IPL season. Parag's all-around ability proved to be his saving grace this time, as his bat did most of the talking. Parag has long been regarded as one of RR's most gifted players, but in prior seasons, he was frequently in the headlines for off-field comments. arag has been with RR for six seasons and had a standout performance in the IPL 2024.

Despite the youngster's prior poor seasons, the RR management opted to believe in him. e has returned the franchise's confidence by scoring 573 runs at a 52.09 average and 149.21 strike rate. His performance improvement has made him a valued player, and RR management will undoubtedly view him as necessary for retention.