After the thrilling and unforgettable mega auction, all ten teams are set for IPL 2025. It is now time for team analysis and to choose the best and worst teams before the beginning of the IPL 2025. While some franchises have impressed on the mega auction table, some franchises have disappointed despite buying talented players. Let's look at the Cricketwinner ratings of all the 10 squads

1. Gujarat Titans

After some good retentions (Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tiwari, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan), IPL 2022 champions Gujarat Titans battled hard to secure Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, and Prasidh Krishna. The retained and top-signed players love to dominate in their respective duties. Moreover, GT added more good all-rounders like Glenn Phillips, Sherfane Rutherford, Karim Janat, Washington Sundar, etc. Overall, the franchise has built up a well-balanced team for the IPL 2025, as there is hardly any gap. 

GT full squad for IPL 2025: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Sherfane Rutherford, Gerald Coetzee, Glenn Phillips, Sai Kishore, Mahipal Lomror, Karim Janat, Gurnoor Brar, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Kumar Kushagra, Nishant Sindhu, Manav Suthar, Anuj Rawat, Kulwant Khejroliya.

Team rating: 8.5/10

See Also: IPL 2025: Top 5 Shocking Unsold Star Players in the IPL history

2. SunRisers Hyderabad

IPL 2016 champions and IPL 2024 runners-up SunRisers Hyderabad set a new example of dominant batting in the last IPL season. We can expect the same in the IPL 2025 as most of the key batters are retained in the squad along with the skipper and pacer Pat Cummins. Apart from some strong all-rounder names, SRH also have strong pacers and spinners. It seems that the franchise has built up another well-balanced T20 side. 

SRH full squad for IPL 2025:  Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Abhinav Manohar, Adam Zampa, Simarjeet Singh, Eshan Malinga, Brydon Carse, Sachin Baby, Kamindu Mendis, Zeeshan Ansari, Aniket Verma, Atharva Taide.

Team rating: 8/10

3. Kolkata Knight Riders

Due to the strong retention and the addition of more regular faces from the auction, the three-time and reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) can maintain their champion charms in IPL 2025. The overseas dominant all-rounders are match-winners (Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Moeen Ali, Rovman Powell) along with Ramandeep Singh and Venkatesh Iyer. 

Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi are strong names in batting. With Sunil Narine and Moeen Ali, Indian cricketers Varun Chakravarthy and Mayank Markande provide strong spin bowling options. South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje and rising Indian pacer Harshit Rana are two big names in the pace-bowling line-up. 

KKR full squad for IPL 2025:  Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Spencer Johnson, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Moeen Ali, Vaibhav Arora, Rovman Powell, Ajinkya Rahane, Umran Malik, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia, Mayank Markande.

Team rating: 7.5/10

4. Chennai Super Kings

The present Chennai Super Kings squad has many known faces for the Yellow Army fans. Not only their retained players, but also the RTM Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Sam Curran, and Ravichandran Ashwin also have great memories with the team. If the experienced team management can work well with the Indian pace-bowling line-up, the five-time IPL champions can create a new IPL history.

CSK full squad for IPL 2025: Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni, Noor Ahmad, R Ashwin, Devon Conway, Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Anshul Kamboj, Sam Curran, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Vijay Shankar, Vansh Bedi, Shreyas Gopal, C Andre Siddarth, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shaik Rasheed, Mukesh Choudhary, Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

Team rating: 7/10

See Also: IPL 2025: Top 5 Steal Deals from the 2025 IPL Mega Auction

5. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Three-time IPL runners-up Royal Challengers Bengaluru have strong batting lineups on top and in the middle. Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, etc. are big names in the RCB batting line-up. The pace-bowling lineup is equally strong with the Indians and overseas names. All-rounders can fill up the spin-bowling gap.   

RCB full squad for IPL 2025: Virat Kohli, Rajit Patidar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Tim David, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Salam, Krunal Pandya, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Nuwan Thushara, Lungi Ngidi, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh, Swastik Chikara, Manoj Bhandage, Abhinandan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Mohit Rathee

Team rating: 6.5/10

6. Delhi Capitals

Although Delhi Capitals had to release Rishabh Pant, they still have built up a good team for IPL 2025. While the team has strong foreign names in the batting (Jake Fraser-McGruk, Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis, Tristian Stubbs), the Indian batting names are limited to KL Rahul and Abhishek Porel. The team has young talented all-rounders, where Axar Patel has to play an important role. The pace-bowling has strong names, both from India (Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma) and overseas (Mitchell Starc and Dushmantha Chameera). Meanwhile, the experienced spinners are Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Axar Patel. 

DC full squad for IPL 2025: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mukesh Kumar, Harry Brook, Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Sameer Rizvi, Dushmantha Chameera, Donavan Ferreira, Vipraj Nigam, Manvanth Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Ajay Mandal, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari.

Team rating: 6.5/10

7. Mumbai Indians

The five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians are desperate to break their recent inconsistent status. While they retained important names, batting looks strong with the question of its depth and strong replacements. Pace bowlers are very strong with the leading charges of Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. All-rounder Mitchell Santner is the only powerful experienced spinner in the team. 

MI full squad for IPL 2025: Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Allah Ghazanfar, Mitchell Santner, Ryan Rickelton, Reece Topley, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Bevon Jacobs, Ashwani Kumar, Krishnan Shrijith, Arjun Tendulkar, Lizaad Williams, Vignesh Puthur.

Team rating: 6/10

8. Punjab Kings

The IPL 2014 runners-up Punjab Kings are desperate to remove their underperformer tag from the IPL 2025, as the team has failed to reach the playoffs the last ten seasons. They have big overseas names Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, and Lockie Ferguson, along with the Indian stars Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal. While there is a lack of Indian alternatives, the PBKS’ success in the IPL 2025 depends on the performances of the Indian cricketers. 

PBKS full squad for IPL 2025: Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey.

Team rating: 5.5/10

9. Lucknow Super Giants

Lucknow Super Giants have strong overseas batting options along with Rishabh Pant, whose INR 27 crore bid broke the IPL auction record. Apart from Pant, the franchise’s Indian batting option isn’t strong enough. The team has been filled with young talented Indian pacers and spinners, who need proper guidance in tough times. By looking at the team initially, the franchise hasn’t set up a balanced team for the IPL 2025.   

LSG full squad for IPL 2025: Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, Mohsin Khan, Rishabh Pant, Avesh Khan, David Miller, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Akash Deep, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Shamar Joseph, M Siddharth, Himmat Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, Digvesh Singh, Prince Yadav, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Singh, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Aryan Juyal.

Team rating: 4.5/10

10. Rajasthan Royals

While the inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals have retained strong names, the exclusion of English white-ball captain Jos Buttler was the big blow for Royals. The franchise still has enough explosive Indian batters, and their pace and spin bowling options are fully talented and consistent. While they haven’t any experienced Indian spinners, their Indian pace bowling experience is limited.

RR full squad for IPL 2025: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Nitish Rana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Akash Madhwal, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Rathore, Ashok Sharma.

Team rating: 3.5/10

The five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) are desperate to change their present status and end their four-year IPL trophy drought. After winning five trophies in eight seasons, including back-to-back IPL trophies in the 2019 and 2020 editions, MI advanced to the playoffs only one season in the last four years (2023).

In the IPL 2022 and 2024, MI finished in the 10th position, which are disappointing results for the joint most successful IPL team. 

Mumbai Indians: Key additions from the mega auction

In the mega auction, Mumbai Indians strongly bid for the top pacers and quality all-rounders. They spent INR 12.50 crore for the return of Trent Boult, while Deepak Chahar was entertained for INR 9.25 crore. The five-time IPL winners also secured Naman Dhir through the RTM. In fact, the franchise bought some quality all-rounders for bargain prices. 

SEE ALSO: Trent Boult reunites with Mumbai Indians after three years

MI Full Squad

Batters: Rohit Sharma (retained), Suryakumar Yadav (retained), Tilak Varma (retained), Bevon Jacobs (South African)

Wicketkeepers: Ryan Rickelton (South African), Krishnan Shrijith, Robin Minz 

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya (retained), (RTM) Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner (New Zealander), Will Jack (English), Satyanarayana Raju, Vignesh Puthur, Raj Bawa

Spinners: Allah Ghazanfar (Afghanistan), Karn Sharma 

Pacers: Jasprit Bumrah (retained), Trent Boult (New Zealander), Lizaad Williams (South African), Reece Topley (English), Deepak Chahar, Arjun Tendulkar, Ashwani Kumar

Brief SWOT analysis

Mumbai Indians retained their key players. Their top and middle-order batting looks really strong. However, due to limited quality and experienced names, both batting units can face trouble if the top players are unavailable. There is also a question about the batting depth in the playing XI.

Although MI spent on the all-rounders, the experienced Indian all-rounder is only the skipper Hardik Pandya. 

In the meantime, the Indian spin-bowling option is very limited, but MI have strong names of Indian and overseas pace-bowling options (including the all-rounder and captain Hardik Pandya). However, Deepak Chahar’s unsettled fitness can be troublesome for MI. 

While MI batting isn’t dependent on the foreigners, we will see top foreigners in the all-round and bowling options. 

MI Best possible XI for IPL 2025

Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Ryan Rickelton, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult

Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) had an awful run in the IPL 2024, where they finished in the 10th or last place in the points table, which happened twice in the last three IPL seasons. MI are desperate to bring back their dominance in the forthcoming season. 

MI spent INR 75 crore to retain five capped players before the IPL 2025 mega auction. They started the mega auction with a purse balance of INR 45 crore. 

MI brought back Trent Boult by spending INR 12.50 crore. They have players like Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Allah Ghazanfar, Mitchell Santner, etc. MI used the RTM for Naman Dhir. 

SEE ALSO: IPL 2025 to start on March 14; Dates revealed for next three seasons

Pre Auction Retentions

(Capped)

Jasprit Bumrah (Indian): INR 18 Crore

Suryakumar Yadav (Indian): INR 16.35 Crore

Hardik Pandya (Indian): INR 16.35 Crore

Rohit Sharma (Indian): INR 16.30 Crore

Tilak Verma (Indian): INR 8 Crore

Right-to-Match (RTM) card availability for the mega auction

1 uncapped player

Mega Auction Buys

Trent Boult (New Zealander): Base price INR 2 crore – Bid won INR 12.50 crore

Deepak Chahar (Indian): Base price INR 2 crore – Bid won INR 9.25 crore

RTM Naman Dhir (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 5.25 crore

Will Jacks (English): Base price INR 2 crore – Bid won INR 5.25 crore

Allah Ghazanfar (Afghanistan): Base price INR 75 lakh – Bid won INR 4.80 crore

Mitchell Santner (New Zealander): Base price INR 2 crore – Bid won INR 2 crore

Ryan Rickelton (South African): Base price INR 1 crore – Bid won INR 1 crore

Reece Topley (English): Base price INR 75 lakh – Bid won INR 75 lakh

Lizaad Williams (South African): Base price INR 75 lakh – Bid won INR 75 lakh

Robin Minz (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 65 lakh

Karn Sharma (Indian): Base price INR 50 lakh – Bid won INR 50 lakh   

Vignesh Puthur (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh   

Bevon Jacobs (South African): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh   

Satyanarayana Raju (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh   

Raj Bawa (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh   

Ashwani Kumar (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh   

Arjun Tendulkar (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh  

Krishnan Shrijith (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh   

Full Squad

Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Deepak Chahar, Allah Ghazanfar, Will Jacks, Ashwani Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Reece Topley, Krishnan Shrijith, Raj Angad Bawa, Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Lizaad Williams, Vignesh Puthur.

Best Predicted XI

Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Ryan Rickelton, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult

New Zealand Pacer Trent Boult will join Mumbai Indians after 4 years. Boult was brought by the five-time champions Mumbai Indians for 12.50 Crores. It was Mumbai Indians' first buy of the IPL Mega Auction 2025. Trent Boult played for the Mumbai Indians during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Left Arm quick has scalped 38 wickets for them in 29 matches with an average of 22.71. Boult was monumental in the Mumbai Indians title- win in 2020 as he picked up 25 wickets in 15 matches with an average of 18.28.

⚡𝕏💥
#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #TATAIPLAuction pic.twitter.com/qVI62gZtBq

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 24, 2024

It was a proper bidding war to get him back in Blue and Gold. As his former side, Rajasthan Royals weren’t letting go of him without a fight. MI placed their first bid at 6.50 Crore. Rajasthan Royals kept fighting till the bid of 12.25 Crore and they opted out later. Mumbai Indians made their fans a long wait of five hours for their first signing and as they say, patience yields the sweetest fruits.

Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions, have acted as one of the cornerstones of the Indian Premier League's emergence, thanks to their illustrious campaigns and campaigners who have represented the blue squad. But the same side finished the previous season at the bottom of the points table. Through the forthcoming auctions, many fanatics expect a comeback through a major restructuring. 

With the retention of their central pillars across all the departments (Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma), the management under the coaching guidance of Mahela Jayawardene will be eager to acquire such players that align to their objectives and fill the significant voids. That said, here we look at the top five names that the Mumbai Indians should go all for in the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, and the commonality between all the names is that all the suggested players have donned the blue jersey at least once. 

Trent Boult

Trent Boult should be among the first names on the top priority list of Mumbai Indians' mega auction game plan. Roping the Kiwi speedster will bolster the pace of the attack that Jasprit Bumrah has already helmed. Boult's athleticism on-field will also help the side in the most advantageous ways possible.

The 35-year-old left-arm pacer is one of the best bowlers of the contemporary era, known for his ability to take wickets with the new ball. He played well for his last team, the Rajasthan Royals, and was a vital bowler for the past three seasons. In 2024, he took 16 wickets in 16 matches with an economy rate of over eight. 

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal, the star Indian leg-spinner, is the most successful bowler in IPL history. Chahal debuted in the IPL with MI in 2013 but quickly rose to prominence with RCB and RR. Overall, Chahal has become linked with consistency. Despite amassing mountains of wickets for RR over the previous three IPL seasons, the Sanju Samson-led club did not keep Chahal, and he will now be available in mega auctions, where MI might target him.

Overall, Chahal has become linked with consistency. MI has missed the presence of a great spinner over the previous three seasons, and Chahal can replace that need. In 2024, he has 18 wickets from 15 matches.  

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler, the prominent English wicketkeeper batter, has already been a "hot topic" in the auction pool after being left off the Rajasthan Royals' retention list. Every club that participates is eager to have Buttler on their roster.

Buttler spent many seasons with the Mumbai-based squad under Rohit Sharma's supervision after making his IPL debut with MI in 2016. However, his long-term contributions to the inaugural winners have been immense, and his former team will dearly miss him in future editions. In just 11 matches, he has 359 runs and two three-digit mark numbers.  

Also Read: IPL 2025: 5 players Chennai Super Kings should target for in the upcoming mega auction

Nehal Wadhera

Nehal Wadhera appears to be one of the candidates whose side may exercise their only RTM (Right-to-Match) in the next auction. However, it is strongly recommended that the team go all-in for him, as this would assist them in aligning with their future chances.

The southpaw is adept at countering both spin and speed. He has a decent attitude and can be a floater anywhere in the lineup. The 24-year-old joined the organisation in 2023 and was impressed with his bat, strengthening the middle order. In 2024, he has played six games and scored 109 runs, which may appear modest but has a lot of potential beneath. 

Akash Madhwal

Akash Madhwal, a young Indian bowler who can take wickets at any point of the game, is usually a popular pick at the IPL mega auction. Madhwal has amazed everyone throughout his two seasons in Mumbai. He joined the franchise in 2023 and had an immediate effect.

In his first-ever IPL edition, he grabbed 14 wickets in eight games, the best of which was 5/5. His rapid pace may give some batters nightmares during vital game moments. As a result, Madhwal might be one of the players the Mumbai Indians use their RTM on in the blockbuster action, but they still should go for him. In his 2024 tenure, he got five wickets in five games. 

As all 10 franchises gear up to lock horns in the upcoming mega auction in Riyadh later this month, most of their quest will be centered around looking for a new captain. The Indian wicketkeepers featuring the likes of Rishab Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer will also be in contention in this year’s mega auction race. 

As many as four IPL franchises have released their respective captains ahead of the grand Riyadh auction. Faf has been released by RCB, KL Rahul released by LSG, Pant released by DC, and Iyer released by the defending champions KKR to name a few. With sweeping changes expected across the horizon, we highlight some common problems the franchises are expected to encounter in this forthcoming auction. 

Common headaches for all franchises ahead of the IPL auction

As we have now learnt, teams have expressed their desire to let go of their captains. The exit of the past skippers will undoubtedly leave a power vacuum. KKR, RCB, LSG, and DC will be without their former captains who performed remarkably well for them over the years. The gap can also result in decreased performance and impact on the field as well as off-the-field relationships between the players and the coaching staff. In other words, with new talent onboard, success may not always be guaranteed as the players and the management need to starch from scratch while forging new relations. 

Besides, the departure of other veteran players like Pant or Iyer can leave the team vulnerable on the biggest of stages. Iyer, who was the winning captain of KRR last year comes with a lot of experience and the franchise could have certainly benefitted from him once again in the next season. However, the arrival of a fresh captain can potentially change the dynamics and the composure of the KKR team for the worse. 

While some teams are on the lookout for fresh talent to lead their side, others are also gearing up to find match-winners in the form of wicket-keepers such as Rishab Pant and KL Rahul.  The franchises will have a lot of tough decisions to make as we fast approach the mega auction so don't be surprised if they make any move out of the ordinary.  

Hardik Pandya, the dynamic Indian all-rounder, recently shared an image of his custom-made 'World Champion' ring, commemorating India’s T20 World Cup victory. His post instantly went viral, capturing the admiration of fans and sparking pride nationwide. Pandya’s influence in India's triumph, capped by his impressive performances both with bat and ball, has cemented his legacy in Indian cricket.

Hardik’s ‘World Champion’ ring: A tribute to T20 glory

Pandya’s ‘World Champion’ ring, featuring the T20 World Cup trophy design at its center, proudly displays “World” at the top and “Champion” inscribed at the bottom. It’s a fitting tribute to his role in India’s T20 World Cup win, where his 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 and 11 wickets at an economy of 7.64 were crucial. Pandya’s last-over heroics in the final match, where he defended 16 runs against South Africa, showcased his nerve and skill under pressure.

This victory also marked India’s first T20 World Cup title in 17 years, and Pandya’s contributions silenced critics who doubted him following his captaincy struggles with Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024. His post-victory celebrations and the viral image of him holding the trophy have only added to his popularity among fans.

See Also: Sundar & Jadeja shine, but New Zealand take the edge over India

Pandya to lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025 as core players are retained

Following his World Cup success, Mumbai Indians have shown faith in Pandya’s leadership by retaining him as captain for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. Despite a challenging 2024 season that saw Mumbai finish at the bottom of the table, the franchise retained their core squad, including Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Tilak Varma, with Pandya earning INR 16.35 crore.

Mumbai Indians have INR 45 crore left for the 2025 auction as they prepare for another season with a solid core. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see Pandya return to IPL action, hoping he can bring the same tenacity and skill that led India to the T20 World Cup title.

The joint record holder five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have announced their retained players for the IPL 2025. 

Mumbai Indians are among the most successful teams in the T20 league history. Mumbai Indians won the IPL trophy in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Further, they finished as the runners-up in the IPL 2010. They also won the now-defunct Champions League T20 trophy twice (2011 and 2013).

In the last four seasons, Mumbai Indians failed to reach the final of the tournaments. In these seasons, they only reached the playoffs in the 2023 edition. 

Before the beginning of the IPL 2024, the long-time skipper Rohit Sharma stepped down from the captaincy role, under whom MI won five IPL trophies and one Champions League T20 trophy, and Hardik Pandya handled the captaincy role after returning to the team. However, it wasn’t a smooth run for him as MI finished in the 10th or last position at the IPL 2024. 

Mumbai Indians player retention

Mumbai Indians retained five capped players for INR 75 crore. The five-time IPL champions have INR 45 crore to complete the team at the mega auction. 

(Capped)

Jasprit Bumrah (Indian): INR 18 Crore

Suryakumar Yadav (Indian): INR 16.35 Crore

Hardik Pandya (Indian): INR 16.35 Crore

Rohit Sharma (Indian): INR 16.30 Crore

Tilak Verma (Indian): INR 8 Crore

(Uncapped)

None

Right-to-Match (RTM) card availability for the mega auction

1 uncapped player

With the IPL 2025 mega-auction approaching, speculation is rife regarding the retention of top players by Mumbai Indians (MI). While contrasting reports have emerged about whether MI will retain ex-skipper Rohit Sharma, a new report suggests that MI plans to retain their key players, including Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav. With the deadline for IPL retentions looming, Mumbai Indians are strategizing on how to build a formidable team while managing their purse effectively.

Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya set for MI retention

Amid the swirling rumors surrounding Rohit Sharma's future with Mumbai Indians, a new report from Sportstar claims that MI will retain their former captain. Earlier speculation suggested a rift between Rohit and MI following his removal as skipper in 2024, with Hardik Pandya taking over the reins. However, the report confirms that Rohit Sharma, along with Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav, will remain with the franchise.

This decision comes despite Hardik Pandya's poor performance as captain last season, where he struggled to lead the team to the playoffs. Nevertheless, MI views both Rohit and Hardik as essential to their future plans. Their retention will significantly impact MI’s auction purse, as retaining players in different categories comes with a steep cost, but these players are considered the franchise's core strength.

Impact on MI's IPL 2025 strategy

Rohit Sharma’s retention will likely play a major role in shaping MI's IPL 2025 auction strategy. Retaining key players means a substantial portion of MI's auction budget will be allocated, with the first and fourth players retained receiving ₹18 crore each, the second and fifth players getting ₹14 crore, and the third retention receiving ₹11 crore.

While Rohit’s IPL 2024 performance was decent, scoring 417 runs at a strike rate of 150, the bigger question remains who will lead MI in the upcoming season. Despite rumors linking Rohit with a move to Lucknow Super Giants and internal disputes with the previous MI coach, new head coach Mahela Jayawardene has reportedly convinced Rohit to stay with MI.

Mumbai’s Top Retention
Not Hardik Not Bumrah
Rohit Sharma it is #RohitSharma𓃵

— रोहित जुगलान Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) October 22, 2024

See Also: Hero of 2022 Pakistan tour recalled by England for third Test

Meanwhile, the retention deadline is set for October 31, giving MI a limited window to finalize their squad for next season. The franchise is aiming to improve team morale and performance, with retention decisions being key to their preparations for IPL 2025.

As Mumbai Indians gear up for IPL 2025, the retention of top players like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah will significantly shape their strategy for the mega-auction. Despite some uncertainties and challenges last season, MI is committed to retaining their core players and building a strong squad for the future. The upcoming retention decisions will have a lasting impact on the team’s prospects in the next IPL season.

Former India Seamer Paras Mhambrey has been appointed as Mumbai Indians bowling coach for the IPL 2025 season. Paras Mhambrey, who was previously an assistant coach with Mumbai Indians, will now work with current bowling coach Lasith Malinga under the team’s new head coach, Mahela Jayawardene.

Paras Mhambrey was part of Team India's World Cup 2024 winning campaign in the West Indies under Head Coach Rahul Dravid. He was also part of the Mumbai Indians' winning campaigns of IPL 2013 and Champions League T20.

See Also:- India vs New Zealand: Day 1 of Bengaluru Test called off due to rain

He has experience of coaching in Domestic cricket as he coached India A side. He led Bengal to consecutive Ranji Finals in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He played two Tests and three ODIs for Team India between the period of 1996 and 1998. He played Domestic Cricket for Team Mumbai, scalped 284 wickets in 91 first-class games and 111 wickets in 83 List-A games.

See Also:- Mahela Jayawardene returns to Mumbai Indians coaching

On Sunday, Mumbai Indians announced the return of Former Srilankan Captain Mahela Jayawardene as the head coach for the upcoming season. The team bid adieu to Head Coach Mark Boucher who served them between 2023 to 2024. Mark Boucher failed to take the team into the playoffs last season as they finished last in the points table with just 4 wins out of 14 matches under the leadership of Hardik Pandya.

So, Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene and his coaching staff now need to decide whom they should retain ahead of the Mega Auction as the deadline to submit the retentions is 31 October.