IPL 2025: Top 3 expensive yet deserving retentions

All the teams have submitted their retention lists for IPL 2025.

All 10 Indian Premier League (IPL) teams revealed their retention lists for IPL 2025 on Thursday, October 31. Each team had the option to retain up to six players, with a limit of five uncapped and two capped players.

Additionally, teams who have not retained six players, have the option to use the Right to Match (RTM) card in the auction, which allows them to match the bid of the highest bidder for a player previously released by the franchise.

While some franchises like Punjab Kings opted to retain just two players, others invested significantly to retain their core players, aiming to build a team around the existing players.

In this article, we will look at the players who have been retained for a huge amount, but deserve it thoroughly.

IPL 2025: Top three expensive yet deserving retentions

3. Rinku Singh – 13 crores

Finishers are the one most valued asset for any team in limited-overs cricket. Rinku Singh has emerged as a reliable finisher for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the past two seasons. As a result, the Kolkata-based franchise decided to retain Rinku ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction for a massive sum of INR 13 crores.

Rinku, who has also made his debut for India in T20Is, is renowned for his five sixes in the last five balls of a run-chase against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023. He is also an excellent fielder and rarely misses a catch in the outfield.

Rinku has showcased his ability to build an innings when batting in tough situations. The 27-year-old has garnered a huge fan-following: apart from his explosive batting, fans also hail Rinku for his humble character. Rinku previously had salary of just 55 lakhs in the IPL.

2. Jasprit Bumrah – 18 crores

India’s fast-bowling spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah has been retained by Mumbai Indians for a hefty amount of 18 crores INR, more than Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya. It has been learned that Rohit, Hardik and Suryakumar unanimously decided that Bumrah deserved the top retention spot for IPL 2025.

Bumrah has been instrumental in the MI’s success since joining them in 2013 and has been part of Mumbai’s all five title-winning campaigns.

Bumrah has taken 165 wickets in 133 games in the IPL at a terrific economy rate of 7.3. Bumrah’s ability to take wickets in any phase of the game makes him a dream for any T20 captain. Bumrah’s recent performance for the Indian team in the ICC World T20 2024 showcased his reliability with the ball in hand and affirmed his status as the best T20 fast bowler in the world. Bumrah had salary of INR 12 crores in the last two editions.

1. Heinrich Klassen – 23 crores

Arguably the best middle-order T20 batsman in the world right now, Heinrich Klassen has been retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping INR 23 crores, the highest among the players retained for IPL 2025. Previously, his salary was 5.25 crores.

Klassen’s rise in the limited overs format has been monumental with the right-hander hitting sixes at will. He was instrumental in SRH’s amazing campaign last season. The Proteas keeper-batsman ended the 2024 season with 479 runs with a strike rate of 171.

Klassen’s finishing prowess along with the opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma will be the key for SRH in IPL 2025 as well.

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