The upcoming 2025 IPL edition will see a Mega Auction with all ten franchises undergoing a significant restructuring. The recent announcement of the retention lists has been a talking point amongst several cricket fanatics, as there has been a mix of both expected and unexpected names getting released.

As it implies, there have been many critics who have got a mixed bag of opinions pertaining to the retained names across all the teams, be it relating to the amount paid for its retention or some shocking releases. That said, here are the five worst retentions made by the teams before the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, based on their performance and price point.

Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals- INR 11 Crore)

Shimron Hetmyer, the Caribbean swashbuckling bat for the Rajasthan Royals, made another, despite having international talents like Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Trent Boult on their roster. This is one of the most perplexing retentions by the inaugural champions, considering whether his INR 11 Crore price tag justifies his cricketing abilities.

With colossal options and no Right-to-Match cards available now, it is one of the worst retentions that hasn't given its reasons for staying with the team. In his 2024 stint, he has made just 113 runs in 12 matches, averaging a mediocre 23. 

Dhruv Jurel (Rajasthan Royals- INR 14 Crore)

The Rajasthan Royals took an unusual yet brave step by keeping uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel for a whopping INR 14 crore ahead of the IPL 2025. Just to Shimron Hetmyer's retention dilemma, the Royals had a plethora of seasoned and superior combatants at their disposal.

Various critics have questioned Jurel's retention. Though the batter has played an essential part in fortifying his middle order, his price does not appear justified. He has scored just 195 runs in 14 matches for the Rajasthan Royals in 2024, with an average of more than 25.  

Mayank Yadav (Lucknow Super Giants- INR 11 Crore)

Mayank Yadav demonstrated his abilities in his first IPL season, becoming a budding star with Lucknow SuperGiants. So, given his quick bowling, the SuperGiants kept him for a staggering INR 11 crore. Typically, if a team pays such a large sum to a fast bowler, it expects him to lead the bowling department. Mayank has all the potential to spearhead LSG's pace battery, but as a hit-the-deck bowler, he is prone to back injuries.

Also, he recently returned from an injury that kept him out of the IPL 2024. With so many possibilities in the big auction pool, the Super Giants might have dragged him back at a lesser price. This deal appears to be motivated by desperation and might have been done more effectively. In his 2024 stint, he has scalped seven wickets at an impeccable economy of less than seven in just four appearances.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Top 5 Best Retentions during the 2025 IPL Mega Auction

Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings- INR 18 Crore)

Ravindra Jadeja, the dependable Indian all-rounder, has been a part of every aspect of the Chennai Super Kings' journey, demonstrating his importance to the Yellove Army. However, given his age and athleticism, his INR 18 crore price tag is quite surprising. Jadeja, a true all-rounder, has recently been sidelined by a problematic knee, which the Super Kings must have known about.

The franchise could have paid Jadeja less, conserving money for the big auction or investing in other youngsters or other promising players on the roster, especially with the likes of Rachin Ravindran, Maheesh Theekshana and Devon Conway. During his 2024 edition spell, he played 14 matches, scoring 267 runs and taking eight wickets.

Yash Dayal (Royal Challengers Bengaluru- INR 5 Crore)

Yash Dayal, the fast-paced player, has been retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for INR 5 crore ahead of the 2025 IPL season. This move created news, especially since the club released its quick stalwart, Mohammed Siraj, making him one of the franchise's mediocre retention choices. The left-arm pacer has experienced a roller coaster ride in the cash-rich league thus far.

Many people believed his career would never recover after Rinku Singh smacked him for five consecutive sixes in the IPL 2023. However, RCB's trust in the left-arm bowler throughout the 2024 season, notably in a vital match against Chennai Super Kings, led to his breakout moment. In the 2024 edition, he took 15 wickets in 14 games. 

In a thrilling display of cricketing prowess, the Indian team roared back into contention by levelling the series against the West Indies. With an astounding batting display, India showcased their dominance on the field. The instrumental factors behind this resurgence were the remarkable form of Kuldeep Yadav and the dynamic vigor brought by the youthful opening partnership.

Initiating with a commanding run rate of over 9 in the powerplay, West Indies encountered a setback at 123/7 due to interventions by Arshdeep and Kuldeep. Yet, Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope’s strategic play propelled them to a competitive 178. Meanwhile, India’s opening tandem, featuring Jaiswal and Gill, achieved a milestone by matching a record-equaling T20I partnership. While Jaiswal kicked off aggressively, Gill chose a patient approach and initially stepped back. He initiated his counterattack once Jaiswal had laid a foundation for India’s chase.

In this article, let’s delve more extensively into their opening partnership and also conduct a detailed pitch map analysis of Kuldeep’s landing zones.

Kuldeep’s Outstanding form

In this series, while the average economy rate of Indian bowlers has tallied at 8.23, Kuldeep Yadav has notably distinguished himself with an economy rate of merely 6.17—the most commendable among all bowlers in the series. While today’s pitch was definitely a good surface for the batter, it didn’t stop Kuldeep from playing some mind games with his subtle variations.

Also read: Match Analysis: Kuldeep Yadav’s Web of Mastery and SKY’s Brilliance Lead India to a Victory Over the West Indies – Cricket Winner

As seen in the pitch map, Kuldeep majorly bowled to the left-handed batters and most of the time, he stuck to his stump-to-stump line and generally bowled fuller lengths. A couple of times when he had missed out on his radar, he was smashed to the boundary. But the best part of his spell was the delivery he had bowled to Nicholas Pooran, where he bravely flighted it just outside off stump and bowled a googly. Pooran had misjudged the googly and tried to go over covers, only to hit it straight down the throat of long off.

His setup to Powell was even better. A ball before the wicket, he delivered a ripping googly outside the off stump which just missed the outer part of the blade. He then followed it up with a googly on the leg stump which forced to Powell to play at, only for him to edge it to slip. While Shimron Hetmyer was generally comfortable against Kuldeep, the latter still kept things tight and ended with up with brilliant figures of 2/26 on a good batting track. With respect to his variations, he bowled 6 googlies which resulted in his 2 wickets and 5 runs, while his leg break generated 21 runs in 18 deliveries.

The Youthful Opening Duo

Shubman Gill rose to the occasion with a pivotal innings when it was needed most. His partnership with Jaiswal yielded a remarkable total of 165 runs, marking a record-equaling opening stand for India in T20Is. Here, we will be performing a type of shot analysis for both the players to see the kind of shots they played on an individual level.

From first glance, we can see that Gill has a pronounced variety in shots in comparison to Jaiswal. The latter also possessed some wonderful array of shots, but his most dominant trait was the front foot drive with close to 37 percent of his runs scored with this shot. But once he had settled, he tried a variety of shots ranging from a reverse sweep to a scoop, but his front foot slog garnered close to 17 percent of his runs.

Gill on the other hand took his time but once he had settled down, he boasted his extensive variety of shots with close to 22 percent of the runs scored in the front foot slog. Gill also didn’t over hit his drives and rather preferred the front foot push, scoring close to 15 percent of his runs with this shot. His pull shot is a sight to behold with close to 24 percent of his runs scored with this shot.

While we await the prospect of sustained performances from the Indian opening pair, this partnership stands as a testament to the skill set possessed by our emerging young talents.

IPL 2023, 23rd Match: Rajasthan Royals 179 for 7 (Samson 60, Shimron Hetmyer 56*, Shami 3-25, Rashid 2-46) beat Gujarat Titans 177 for 7 (Miller 46, Gill 45, Sandeep 2-25) by three wickets

Rajasthan Royals had nearly arrived at a final turning point.

With a score of 66 for 4, their attempt to score 178 failed. They required a further 112 additional off 48 balls. Rashid Khan was going to bowl 12 of those.

You detected this was maybe an errand excessively steep, in any event, for somebody as pedigreed as Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer. However, as Rinku Singh demonstrated recently at this very ground, it is not over until it is over.

In Rashid’s third over, Samson scored 6, 6, 6, and Hetmyer attacked his West Indies teammate Alzarri Joseph at the other end. The Royals’ momentum had shifted so quickly that even Samson’s dismissal at that point did not seem to be a problem.

Hetmyer stood tall to raise his 50 years off 25 balls, Dhruv Jurel contributed an appearance thump of 17 that was worth very much more and R Ashwin came in to smack a six and a four in the penultimate over. They came within a few blows of winning all of this.

With five required off five, Hetmyer fixed a success that appeared to be unrealistic at one phase, by biffing Noor Ahmad for six as Royals had rebound from no place to pull off a heist that took them to the highest point of the IPL 2023 competitor list five games in.

This was yet another heartbreak for Gujarat Titans, eerily similar to their loss to Kolkata Knight Riders last week.

Titans’ chaotic start

Wriddhiman Saha and B Sai Sudharsan were gone inside the powerplay as Titans limped to 42 for 2; the first time this season that they didn’t reach 50 in the first six overs.

After Samson and Hetmyer collided, Trent Boult, Saha’s fourth opponent, took the rebound from a hoick that had three players going for it. Sudharsan was run-out at the striker’s end by a yard, after he looped himself at the bowler’s end; those valuable seconds that cost him the distance to reach the ground.

Hardik-Gill get going

The two tried to rebuild the innings by attacking the spinners, which was one of their strategies. In his first two, Ashwin was hit 27 times; While Hardik knocked down Adam Zampa, Gill scored with his feet. The pair added 59 in only 33 balls before Yuzvendra Chahal hoodwinked Hardik in trip to have him gotten for a 19-ball 28.

Titans’ slowdown

The Royals brilliantly brought their spinners into play, and the 30 deliveries that followed Hardik’s dismissal went for just 31 runs. Titans owed quite a bit of their energy eventually to Abhinav Manohar and

Manohar made 27 off 13 in a game he might have not played had Vijay Shankar been fit. Miller did what Miller does best: he pitched a full inning before hitting hard for 46 runs. The Titans suddenly had 177 for 7, which was more than they had anticipated at one point but probably less than they would have liked.

Rajasthan Royals rocked early

Jos Buttler was clean bowled while attempting to scoop Mohammed Shami, only his second duck in the IPL. Yashasvi Jaiswal was snuffed out in the slips. They needed some normalcy, which Devdutt Padikkal and Samson provided at 4 for 2 in three overs, until Rashid entered and splashed.

He had charging Padikkal slice a wrong’un to short third man in his first over. He had Riyan Parag hit a shot straight down long-off’s throat in his second over, the 11th.

Samson goes 6,6,6

The Royals had a win probability of 2.01% according to ESPNcricinfo, requiring 112 out of 48. But in Rashid’s third over, Samson hit some big shots. When Rashid dropped short in an effort to mix his lengths, he got to the pitch to belt the first two down the ground and quickly transferred weight back to pull.

At this point, Noor Ahmad, an Afghanistan left-arm spinner, was introduced by Titans as the Impact Sub in Gill’s place. Subsequent to being hit for a six and four, he had Samson select long-off.

Shimron Hetmyer sees Royals home

Hetmyer was the ideal foil at the opposite end, taking care of Samson’s energy with takedowns of his own, all the more so for Joseph. Shami stumbled a few yards in at third man for a catch that could have been delivered directly to Hetmyer if he had stayed on the ropes. This prevented Royals from getting Hetmyer at one point. The Royals needed 62 points from 29. They might reflect on it and wonder what might have been.

Dhruv Jurel quickly settled in after being brought in at Samson’s wicket. Royals were able to quickly reduce the deficit thanks to his flawless six-hitting and game-smart use of pace to play behind the wicket.

When Jurel hit a 10-ball 17, the Titans still had a chance, but Ashwin used the long handle on his first two deliveries to bring the score down to single digits. From that point on, Hetmyer won’t neglect this as Royals pulled off a rebound win.

Big-hitting middle-order batter Shimron Hetmyer will take over as Guyana Amazon Warriors’ captain this CPL season. Hetmyer takes over from Nicholas Pooran, who was signed up by Trinbago Knight Riders at the CPL draft in July. Hetmyer, who has been with Amazon Warriors since 2016 and became a regular in the XI from 2018, has played 47 games for them, scoring 1149 runs at a strike rate of 131.76 including one hundred and eight fifties.

The Chairman of the Amazon Warriors franchise Bobby Ramroop said: “We are pleased to appoint our first Guyanese captain since the 2013 season. Hetmyer has been a main part of our setup over the years. We believe the time is right to have him lead the team.” Hetmyer said of his appointment: “I am excited to lead this group of men. I can’t wait for the CPL to start.”

Also Read: ZIM vs IND,1st ODI: IND wins by 10 wickets!

Hetmyer’s captaincy could be vital step for Amazon Warrior’s

Hetmyer said of his appointment, “I’m excited to lead this group of men. I can’t wait for the CPL to begin.” In CPL 2021, under Pooran, Amazon Warriors went out at the semi-final stage of the tournament. This year, they kick off their campaign on September 3 against Jamaica Tallawahs in Basseterre. In 2021 CPL, under Pooran, Amazon Warriors went out in the semifinals of the tournament. This year they will kick off their campaign on September 3 against Jamaica Tallawahs in Basseterre.

The CPL runs from August 31 to September 30 this year. Boost for Amazon Warriors should they make the playoffs, all four of these games – two qualifiers, the eliminator and the final – are scheduled to be played on their home ground in Providence, Guyana. This year, the CPL runs from August 31 to September 30. In what will be a boost for Amazon Warriors if they make it to the playoffs, all four of these games — two qualifiers, the eliminator and the final — are slated to be played at their home ground in Providence, Guyana.

Guyana Amazon Warriors squad: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer (capt), Tabraiz Shamsi, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Colin Ingram, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope, Paul Stirling, Heinrich Klaasen, Keemo Paul, Jermaine Blackwood, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton, Matthew Nandu, Junior Sinclair.

The last few years have been really tough for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ever since they made a comeback in 2018, they have roped in some big names but the results achieved weren’t favorable on most occasions. But every new season gives an opportunity to start afresh and the Royals are ready to grab it with both hands. The RR squad for IPL 2022 looks highly competitive. The franchise has invested to have the optimum number of match-winners across departments. Not just the players, but the team has tried to rope in experts like Lasith Malinga to strengthen the core with their practical knowledge.

RR Players to look out for, after this IPL Mega Auction.

As the team gears up for a new season, let’s have a look for the players to watch out for:

Yuzvendra Chahal: Years after playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the ace Indian wrist-spinner is set to play for what would be his third team in the IPL. Chahal has purchased at a price of Rs 6.50 crore at the mega auctions. One of the leading Indian spinners of the format, Chahal has 247 wickets in T20s from 225 games. He has been in top form lately and his spell can be match-winning for the Royals.

Devdutt Padikkal: Another player who played a massive role in RCB’s upliftment in the past couple of seasons is Devdutt Padikkal. He has got less chance in Indian colors but IPL is a platform that has provided him with a special identity. The Karnataka batter has been a find of the league and consistency is the key to his success. On Indian pitches, he is almost impossible to be contained and once he starts hitting, he can toy with any bowler. And if records are concerned, he has 1829 runs from 54 games.

Must Read: Looking Over James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s Journey with the new ball

Shimron Hetmyer: 31 IPL games and more than 500 runs at a strike rate of over 151 – this is what makes Hetmyer a favorite option to go within the final XI. Be it clearing the fence or taking the finishing the game successfully, the Caribbean young batter can do it all very easily. RR spent a whopping sum of Rs 8.50 crore. The franchise has shown faith in him and now it’s Hetmyer’s turn to prove them right.

Prasidh Krishna: Fans expected Kolkata Knight Riders to have Prasidh back in the auctions but RR snapped him away at a price of Rs 10 crore. The right-arm fast bowler is one of the players to have starred in the league before making an international debut. When it comes to death blowing, Prasidh will be there to do the job with perfection. And under Malinga’s guidance, he can turn himself into a lethal weapon.

Sanju Samson: This season, the focus will be on Sanju Samson due to two major reasons. First, it would be interesting to see how he leads a team full of top-performers and secondly, his own batting form. He featured in the recently-concluded T20Is against Sri Lanka at home as the Indian selectors showed faith in him. In return, Sanju didn’t disappoint either as he played some crucial cameos to ensure India’s win.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had also said that Sanju is in the team’s plan for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup which is scheduled to be held in Australia later this year. In that case, he will be expected to talk louder with the bat to not only lead his team to newer heights but for his betterment after the tournament ends. Not just the players, but the team has tried to rope in experts like Lasith Malinga to strengthen the core with their practical knowledge.