The Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council recently announced updated rules for player retention, allowing franchises to retain a maximum of six players. Teams that choose to retain fewer can utilise the Right to Match (RTM) option.

Retentions can include any combination of foreign and Indian players, with a cap of five capped players. Additionally, the Impact Player rule will continue, and the team purse has been increased to Rs. 120 crore, up from Rs. 100 crore last year.

Here is a list of international players the teams cannot afford to let go ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction:

1) Jos Buttler – Rajasthan Royals opener Jos Buttler has established himself as an IPL legend, scoring 3,582 runs at an average of 38.11 and a strike rate of 147.53. Despite two underwhelming seasons following his remarkable 863-run performance in 2022, Buttler remains crucial for the team with his ability to build an innings. His partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal has thrived, and the Royals will be eager to have the duo continue to excel at the top of the order next season.

FILE PHOTO: Lucknow Super Giants player Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the IPL T20 Match at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi.
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RV MOORTHY/ The Hindu

2) Nicholas Pooran – Nicholas Pooran is undoubtedly one of the best T20 batters in the world today, known for his destructive finishing ability with both the West Indies and his franchise teams. With an IPL career strike rate of 162.29, he had a standout campaign for the Lucknow Super Giants last edition, scoring 499 runs at an impressive strike rate of 178.21. If he isn’t retained, Pooran could emerge as one of the most sought-after signings in the upcoming auction.

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FILE PHOTO: SRH’s Travis Head in action during the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrises Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
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EMMANUAL YOGINI/ The Hindu

3) Travis Head – Sunrisers Hyderabad’s run to the IPL final in 2024 was fuelled by the explosive starts provided by Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma during the PowerPlay. The Australian batter scored 567 runs at an impressive strike rate of 191.55. His performances for Australia across formats have also been outstanding, making him a strong candidate for retention by SRH ahead of the auction.

FILE PHOTO: Rashid Khan captain of Gujarat Titans bowls during the Tata Indian Premier League match between the Gujarat Titans and the Kolkata Knight Riders.
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Sportzpics

4) Rashid Khan – With 149 IPL wickets in 121 matches and an astonishing economy rate of 6.82, Rashid Khan has been a game-changer with the ball. His valuable lower-order contributions with the bat further enhance his value. Despite a lackluster 2024 season (10 wickets @8.40), Rashid remains a marquee player and is a strong favourite for retention ahead of the auction.

FILE PHOTO: CSK bowler Matheesha Pathirana in action during the TATA IPL T20 match between CSK vs LSG at MAC Stadium in Chennai.
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M VEDHAN/ The Hindu

5) Matheesha Pathirana – An injury-plagued campaign limited Matheesha Pathirana to just six matches in IPL 2024, significantly impacting his team’s chances of making the playoffs. Overall, the slingy pacer has taken 34 wickets in 20 matches with an economy rate of 7.88. Given the scarcity of death bowlers of his calibre, Pathirana is an invaluable asset that CSK is unlikely to release in the auction.