IPL 2025 Auction: What if Teams are Allowed to Retain Only 1 Player?
The meeting between BCCI and IPL franchise owners has been scheduled on 31st July 2024 which will decide the fate of the IPL 2025 Auction. One of the IPL team owners has suggested, the retention of just one big player for each franchisee. This one retained player will be named the team captain. If this happens, the IPL series will witness a new era of team strategy and player dynamics.
One player retention for the IPL 2025 Auction: What fans may expect?
This new retention policy will bring a fresh perspective to the series. The matches will become exciting and less predictable as:
1) Emergence of new squads: While the old team owners will be fighting hard to keep their old squad intact, new franchises will get a chance to form new teams. The one-player retention policy will allow the new owners to bid on star players that were out of their reach.
2) Bidding wars and budget cuts: With so many top-tier players in the auction pool, it will be interesting to see the franchises bidding aggressively for the best ones. This will further increase the price of popular players in the IPL 2025 auction. The budget may go up for the owners to prepare a stable squad.
3) Golden opportunity for new talents: This retention policy will drive up the prices of well-established players. Franchises may go for young uncapped talent for a smart strategy. It will result in long-term investment. New players can leverage this opportunity by showing their talent on a big platform and gaining international exposure.
4) Competitive auction pool: Many high-performing star players will enter the auction pool. The retention of one core player per franchise will test the team owners’ strategic planning. It will be difficult for them to decide whom to keep and whom to let go.
5) Unpredictability with new tactics: The fans who enjoy fantasy cricket can expect intriguing and thrilling matches. The new team squads will represent unknown team dynamics and a good mix of international and domestic talents. Overall, this new policy will add a new twist to the series breaking its redundancy.
One player retention for the IPL 2025 Auction: Who will the owners choose?
It will be a tough decision for the franchises to let go of their key players, retaining just one will be hard:
Delhi Capitals (DC): Kuldeep Yadav
Delhi Capitals may retain this left-arm wrist spinner to have an edge over competing teams. Kuldeep Yadav has been one of the core players for the Delhi team. His bowling abilities have been crucial in securing the wickets in the middle and death overs. He has performed exceptionally well in the recent IPL season. By keeping him DC can put up a tough challenge for other teams, as his spinning abilities make it tougher for the opposition to reach a winning total.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Ruturaj Gaikwad
Gaikwad has successfully filled the shoes of CSK’s previous captain MS Dhoni. He has been appreciated by the team’s coach Hussey multiple times. This right-hand batsman is crucial for Chennai’s squad as he is a consistent opener and second-best run-scorer of the IPL 2024. He has scored a total of 583 runs leading the strike rate charts at the third position. Ruturaj is a key player of the team and is very likely to be retained by the franchisee owners in the IPL 2025 auction.
Punjab Kings (PBKS): Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep has shown his expertise by mastering deadly yorkers during the high-pressure death-overs. This young talent is one of the best left-arm pacers, which makes him crucial for the future of PBKS. Given the shortage of death pacers in the domestic player pool, Singh is a rare gem with an economy rate of 10.03 in IPL 2024.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Nicholas Pooran
This Trinidadian cricketer is one of the most sought-after players in the IPL series. LSG acquired him at a behemoth amount of INR 16 Crores. This shows his importance for the Lucknow team. Pooran is an exceptional middle-order batsman and wicketkeeper, he excels in the T20 format of the game. Retaining him will be an intelligent decision for LSG to claim victory in the upcoming IPL 2025 series.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has been leading RCB, right from the onset of the IPL series in India. At this stage, his name and face represent the brand image of the Bangalore team. By leading 140 matches till now, he has shown his commitment and loyalty to the franchise. With his explosive run-scoring abilities and aggressive demeanor on the field, Kohli is invaluable for the RCB owners. Retaining him will be an easy choice in the IPL 2025 auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Shreyas Iyer
Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of the KKR franchise aptly described him as the “heartbeat” of the Kolkata team. Iyer exhibits peak form by leading the team to a title win in the IPL 2024 series. He is a middle-order batsman mentored by the veteran cricketer Gautam Gambhir. Shreyas has shown great leadership skills by being the only captain leading two teams to title wins, Delhi (2020) and Kolkata (2024).
Mumbai Indians (MI): Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah is proudly known as the “cheat code” of Mumbai Indians. His exceptional fast-paced bowling abilities with an economy rate of 6.48 have made him indispensable for the franchisee. He is the star of the Mumbai team with his bowling variations and death-over prowess. It will be a wise decision for the team owners to retain him for the IPL 2025 auction.
Gujarat Titans (GT): Shubman Gill
Their current captain and world-class batsman, Gill is high on the list of the franchise owners of Gujarat Titans. He made a substantial contribution to the title win of the Titans in the IPL 2022. Shubman is the future of Indian cricket being a top-order batsman and a high scorer. Currently, he has grabbed a lot of attention in the world of cricket and will be high in demand in the IPL 2025 auction. It will be a smart move from the owner’s side to keep him retained.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Heinrich Klaasen
Klaasen’s retention is pivotal for the Sunrisers. He comes with years of experience and stable middle-order batsmanship. This South African player managed a strike rate of 171.07 in the last season of IPL, helping the team qualify for the finals. This right-handed batsman exhibited his prime form in IPL 2024 by delivering record-breaking lengths of sixes in the matches. It will be tough for the team owners to choose between him and Travis Head, but a calculated decision will keep Klaasen first.
Rajasthan Royals (RR): Sanju Samson
Samson is one of the top batters since 2020 with a strike rate of 138.96 and an average of over 30.69 against both pace and spin in the IPL. RR has retained him for long, naming him the team’s captain in IPL 2021. He has been a consistent middle-order batting performer for the Rajasthan Team. Sanju has rightly earned his place as a key player for the franchise and will probably be retained in the IPL 2025 Auction.
One Player Retention for the IPL 2025 Auction: Final Thoughts
The change in the retention policy will play a huge role in the IPL 2025 series. The decisions of the franchise owners in the upcoming IPL 2025 auction will shape the future of all the teams. The added dimension of squad building in the series will become more exciting as the owners fight for their peak performers and star players. The proposal of one retention policy will mark a big change in IPL history.
