New Delhi: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) team retentions deadline approaching on October 31, all the franchises are mulling over finalising their list of retained and released players. As per the latest rules of player retention which were announced by the governing council of the cash-rich league, a team is allowed to retain a maximum of six players and those who choose to retain fewer players can make use of the Right to Match (RTM) option.
It is to be noted that there is no cap on the number of foreigners a team can retain. The player retentions can include any combination of foreign and Indian players among all the franchises as there is a cap of five capped players. Moreover, the Impact Player rule will continue and the team purse has also been swelled to Rs. 120 crore, a Rs. 20 crore hike from the previous Rs. 100 crore purse.
All of these factors will bore many fruits when it comes to retaining some top-class overseas players who shone with their masterclass at the IPL 2024. With no cap on the number of foreigners that can be retained, the franchises can use the new rules in their favour rather than mulling over making the “tough” decision of releasing them ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction.
Here are some international players that IPL teams can’t afford to let go under the hammer –
1. Travis Head
Remember his monstrous form for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) earlier this year? He wreaked havoc while opening alongside Abhishek Sharma, another destroyer-in-chief, and giving the team explosive starts during the powerplay. The left-handed Australian scored 567 runs at an impressive strike rate of 191.55. Even his performances for the national team have been stellar, which makes him a strong candidate for SRH to be retained ahead of the mega auction.
2. Matheesha Pathirana
Although he was plagued by injury in the IPL 2024 and got to play just six games, he was quick in making an impact for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) who almost made it to the playoffs. The fiery pacer has taken 34 wickets in 20 matches in the IPL, with an economy rate of 7.88. Taking into account the dearth of death bowlers of his ability, Pathiran is undoubtedly a valuable asset for CSK whom they are very unlikely to release.
3. Rashid Khan
Having played 121 matches in the IPL so far, the star Afghanistan all-rounder has scalped 149 wickets with a surprising economy rate of 6.82. For Gujarat Titans (GT), he has been a game-changer with both bat and ball. His remarkable lower-order contributions and delivering the final push when the team is in dire need, enhance his value all the way more. Despite having a dismal 2024 season (10 wickets; economy 8.40), Rashid remains a key player for Gujarat Titans to be retained ahead of the auction.
4. Nicholas Pooran
Word is already around the corner that he is set to be the first retention of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as he is undoubtedly one of the best batters in T20s in the current scenario. He has decimated the opposition’s bowling whenever playing league or international cricket. He has an IPL career strike rate of 162.29 and scored 499 runs this year in the 2024 edition, at an impressive strike rate of 178.21. Retaining him means bolstering the squad and leaving the other franchises rooting for him to come in the auction.
5. If Buttler
Buttler, who opens for Rajasthan Royals (RR) has been a match-winner for them in almost each season in the past. He is already an IPL legend having scored 3,582 runs at an average of 38.11 and a strike rate of 147.53. He had a remarkable 2022 season scoring 863 runs which was followed by two underwhelming seasons. He, nonetheless, remains crucial for RR as he boasts the ability to build an innings. His opening exploits with Yashasvi Jaiswal have been a treat to watch and the Royals will be making an unimaginable mistake if they let go of the Englishman ahead of the auction.
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