Ahead of the mega auction for IPL 2025, league veterans Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu believe that retaining more players will improve a team’s chances of winning by keeping the core group intact. In the previous mega auction in 2022, the IPL rules allowed each team to retain up to four players.
As the three-year cycle comes to an end, a second mega auction is approaching, but opinions about retention differ. Some teams believe they should be allowed to retain up to eight players, while others think four or five is enough.
The IPL Governing Council has not made a decision on this matter yet. Rayudu said, “I believe there should be more retention because teams invest a lot in their players. It’s the core group that makes each team unique. Keeping the core group intact helps maintain team culture.”
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Raina, who played alongside Rayudu for Chennai Super Kings, agreed, saying, “I completely agree with Rayudu. The mega auction happens every three years. The IPL Governing Council will do what’s best for the game.” Both players also believe that Shubman Gill should be made India’s T20 captain in the future.
From 2008 to 2021, the 37-year-old Suresh Raina played 205 IPL matches, scoring 5,528 runs at a strike rate of 136. He also hit 1 century and 39 half-centuries. He is often referred to as “Mr. IPL.” Meanwhile, 38-year-old Ambati Rayudu played 204 IPL matches, scoring 4,348 runs at a strike rate of 127, with 1 century and 22 half-centuries to his name.
