RCB Retains 3 Players, Releases Faf du Plessis Amid Speculation of Kohli’s Captaincy Return

The 2025 IPL mega auction is shaping up to be a highly anticipated event with major changes in team rosters and captaincy roles across franchises. Several notable players have been released by their teams, setting the stage for a competitive auction pool.

In a surprise move, Delhi Capitals released their captain, Rishabh Pant, opening up opportunities for other franchises to bid on the talented wicketkeeper-batter. Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders chose not to retain Shreyas Iyer despite his role in leading them to a title last season. Sunrisers Hyderabad also bid farewell to one of their long-standing players, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, signaling a potential shift in their lineup. In contrast, Chennai Super Kings retained the legendary MS Dhoni for ₹4 crore, leveraging the new uncapped player rule to secure his place.

Another captain joining the auction pool is KL Rahul, who has led Lucknow Super Giants since their inception. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka highlighted that their retained players prioritize team goals over personal ambitions, indicating a focus on a team-centric strategy. Royal Challengers Bangalore added to the list of released captains by letting go of Faf du Plessis, amid speculation that Virat Kohli might reprise his role as team captain.

Mumbai Indians have chosen continuity by retaining their captain, Hardik Pandya, and preserving their key Indian players, including Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Tilak Varma. Sunrisers Hyderabad made a record-breaking move by retaining Heinrich Klaasen at a hefty ₹23 crore, the highest retention fee this year. In contrast, Punjab Kings retained only uncapped players, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh, and even released star pacer Arshdeep Singh into the auction pool. Meanwhile, KKR retained Andre Russell, contradicting prior rumors of his release.

As of now, the IPL has not announced the official auction dates, though it is likely to take place by late November. For Royal Challengers Bangalore, three players were retained: Virat Kohli (₹21 crore), Rajat Patidar (₹11 crore), and Yash Dayal (₹5 crore), with an auction purse of ₹83 crore remaining and three Right to Match (RTM) options.

The 2025 mega auction will feature a star-studded lineup of available players, including Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, and Mitchell Starc. Other high-profile names entering the auction include Quinton de Kock, Jos Buttler, Mohammed Shami, and Trent Boult, promising an exciting bidding war and significant lineup changes ahead of the new IPL season.

List of RCB players not retained: Anuj Rawat, Faf du Plessis, Alzarri Joseph, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma,  Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep,Swapnil Singh, and Saurav Chauhan