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RR: Rajasthan Royals (RR) made history when they won the inaugural season in 2008 under the captaincy of Shane Warne. But since then, they have not been able to perform as per expectations and are still searching for their second trophy. RR came very close when Sanju Samson led the team to the final of the 2022 edition, but they lost it against Gujarat Titans.

Hence, the franchise is very desperate to end this trophy drought in the Indian Premier League. Can they do it in the 18th edition (IPL 2025)? Only time will tell. However, the franchise first needs to decide whom they want to retain or release. The IPL 2025 mega auction is coming up, and every franchise will have a limited retention, and a maximum of six players can be retained.

RR has a number of big names in the bowling and batting departments, so deciding whom to retain can be tricky. Because once a player goes into auction, only a few can be rebought because other teams also try to sign them. That’s why RR need to retain their core players, and we will talk about those retentions here. In this article, we will talk about the players whom MI can retain and the list of released players ahead of the IPL 2025.

IPL 2025 Rajasthan Royals (RR): Possible Retentions

PlayerRole
Sanju SamsonWicketkeeper Batter
Jos ButtlerWicketkeeper Batter
Yashasvi JaiswalBowler
Riyan ParagAll-rounder
Trent BoultBowler
Yuzvendra ChahalBowler

1. Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson IPL 2025 mega auction RR

Sanju Samson has been with the team since 2013 and has taken over the captaincy since the 2021 season. The RR captain has been the backbone of the batting order and has scored runs consistently. His consistency with a good strike rate is enough to retain him as a batter. But he has also shown good leadership skills, and the franchise might look to keep him as the captain.

Sanju is also the leading scorer for RR in the IPL history. He has scored 3934 runs in 141 innings at an average of 31.72 and a strike rate of 140.55, with two centuries and 25 half-centuries. The RR captain has an average of over 400 runs in the last seven IPL seasons, which is incredible consistency.

2. Jos Buttler

RR vs GT: Jos Buttler Opens Up on His IPL Slump Sanju Samson IPL 2025 mega auction RR

The English white-ball captain Jos Buttler has been an incredible addition to the Rajasthan Royals and has been their best batter since 2018. Buttler is one of the best T20I batters in the world at the moment, and his experience is very useful for the team and other young players. Adding to that, he has also done well for the team over the years.

Overall, he is the third-highest scorer for RR in the IPL history. Buttler has scored 3055 runs in 82 innings at an average of 41.84 and a strike rate of 147.79. He has slammed seven centuries for them along with 18 half-centuries. He gives a solidity to the team at the top, which is one key reason that RR might look to retain him ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

3. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal IPL 2025 mega auction RR

Yashasvi Jaiswal is the upcoming star in Indian cricket. He has gotten off to a brilliant start to his international cricket, and his last couple of seasons for RR in the IPL are the reason for that. The franchise has groomed him into what he is today, and it is time for him to repay the faith of the team.

Jaiswal has become a core player, and the franchise is likely to retain him ahead of the IPL 2025 auction because he has made himself into a match-winner. Jaiswal has played 53 games for RR in the IPL and scored 1607 runs at an average of 32.14 and a strike rate of 150.90. The Southpaw has also scored two centuries and nine half-centuries overall.

4. Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag: 'Going To Mankad Someone': Riyan Parag IPL 2025 mega auction RR

The franchise was criticised when they retained Riyan Parag in 2020 and 2023 editions. But the all-rounder certainly repaid the faith of the franchise in the IPL 2024. He was the MVP of the team and went on to score most runs for the team and third-most overall. He showed his 2.0 version, which even earned him his debut for India in ODIs and T20Is.

Now with international experience under his belt, Parag will be a hot pick if RR releases him ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Parag scored 573 runs in 14 innings at an average of 52.9 and a strike rate of 149.21 with four half-centuries. He is a quality all-rounder, is still young, and can be a big matchwinner in the coming years.

5. Trent Boult

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The Kiwi pacer has been part of RR for the last three seasons now. He has been their leading wicket-taker and has done well. His skill of picking wickets in the first spell makes him a valuable asset for any team. He has played 41 innings for RR and taken 45 wickets at an economy rate of 8.13.

Boult has now become the leader of the pace attack, and with the option of a Right To Match (RTM) card, the franchise might look to pick him at the IPL 2025 mega auction. They might release him but will try to get him back using the RTM card.

6. Yuzvendra Chahal

“Yuzvendra Chahal to RR Is One of the Greatest Gifts in IPL’s History”- Kevin Pietersen on RCB’s Biggest Mistake IPL 2023: Four First Choice Overseas Players for Rajasthan Royals For Their Playing XI Riyan Parag: 'Going To Mankad Someone': IPL 2025 mega auction RR

RR might have an option to choose between Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Ashwin, but Chahal might get an edge in this race because the age factor is no on Ashwin’s side. Meanwhile, Chahal has been the wicket-taker for the franchise in the middle overs and has done it consistently.

The veteran legspinner has taken 66 wickets for RR in three seasons and has taken four or more wickets (4) most times for the franchise. His ability to take wicket irrespective of the conditions and his experience can be very handy. Chahal still has a lot of cricket left in him, and RR can use the RTM card to have Chahal at the IPL 2025 mega auction.

IPL 2025 Rajasthan Royals (RR): Possible Released Players List

With the limitation of a maximum of six players ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, some big names like Ravichandra Ashwin, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, and others will be released. Here you can check the list of released players for RR ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Player NameRole
Rovman PowellBatter
Ravichandran AshwinBowling All-rounder
Shimron HetmyerBatter
Dhruv JurelWicketkeeper Batter
Kunal RathoreWicketkeeper Batter
Donovan FerreiraWicketkeeper
Shubham DubeyBatter
Tom Kohler-CadmoreBatter
Tanush KotianAll-rounder
Abid MushtaqAll-rounder
Nandre BurgerBowler
Kuldeep SenBowler
Navdeep SainiBowler
Sandeep SharmaBowler
Keshav MaharajBowler
Avesh KhanBowler
author avatar
Rawat Karan
Just like every person in India, I also have a craze about cricket and have grown up playing cricket since childhood. I am always driven by the game, and being a keen observer, I love to bring statistical knowledge and passion to my articles.
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