Picking the best non-retained playing XII ahead of IPL 2025 Auction ft. Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant
The 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is soon approaching and the buzz is on, with the franchises releasing their list of retained and non-retained players ahead of the mega auction.
The franchises have tried their best to retain their core players and will now look to build a solid squad around them in the upcoming mega auction. While some players were expected to be retained, there have also been some shocking and unexpected releases made by the franchise, which they might regret later on.
With some teams having the RTM option, it will be interesting to see if they opt to bring these players back. As interesting and surprising as it gets, some high-profile names will feature in the much-anticipated mega auction, with their respective franchises letting them go.
It is expected that these players will certainly attract intense bids from franchises in the IPL 2025 mega auction. On that note, here is the best non-retained playing XII ahead of the mega auction.
Picking the best non-retained playing XII ahead of IPL 2025 auction
Openers - Jos Buttler (overseas) and KL Rahul
Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal formed a formidable opening pair for the Rajasthan Royals. While the Royals retained Jaiswal, they surprisingly let go of Buttler, who has been a consistent scorer for them in the IPL, having won them several games on his own merit. He amassed 863 runs in the 2022 season and scored close to 400 runs in the last two seasons as well.
KL Rahul will accompany Buttler at the top in this team. There were enough speculations about the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) releasing Rahul, which eventually proved to be true. Rahul led LSG to the playoffs in two out of three seasons and also scored 520 runs last year.
Middle-order and all-rounders - Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer (C), Glenn Maxwell (overseas), David Miller (overseas), and Washington Sundar
Rishabh Pant is among the high-profile releases. After spending several seasons with the Delhi Capitals (DC) and even captaining them, Pant will no longer be with the franchise. The dynamic and explosive wicket-keeper batter is also DC's all-time leading run-scorer in the IPL and a successful season with the bat last year.
Shreyas Iyer is another massive release. Speculations about the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) letting go of Iyer were also doing the rounds. Surprisingly, KKR let go of their captain who led them to the IPL 2024 title. Shreyas will be the captain of this non-retained playing XII.
As many would have expected, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) released star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell's release was on the cards, given the dynamics and his poor form in the 2024 season. Despite an impressive overall record with RCB, Maxwell failed to deliver with the bat last season. Although he has been hot and cold in the IPL, he still remains a match-winning player nonetheless.
David Miller, the experienced South African batter, was also released by the Gujarat Titans. Despite being known for his hard-hitting and match-winning abilities, Miller failed to create a substantial impact, managing only 210 and 259 runs in the last couple of seasons, respectively.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar has delivered some key performances in the IPL over the years. However, he played just two games for the Sunrisers Hyderabad last year. He did not score a single run and could pick up just one wicket, leading to him being released.
Bowlers - Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mitchell Starc, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Shami
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, once a household name in the Sunrisers Hyderabad line-up, is also among the big names released ahead of the mega auction. He put up a decent performance in the 2023 season, picking up 16 wickets. However, it dipped the following season as he managed to scalp only 11 wickets.
Australian fast-bowler Mitchell Starc, a masterclass purchase by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2024 season, is also a surprising release. Starc delivered for the franchise last season, particularly in the final, helping them win their third title. He grabbed 17 wickets in the season. However, a hefty price tag might have been the reason behind his release.
Punjab Kings seem to be going for a complete overhaul and surprisingly let go of Arshdeep Singh, who is rising in stature with his exceptional performances. He grabbed 19 wickets for Punjab last season and also played a key role in India's triumph at the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup.
Lastly, Mohammed Shami, a consistent wicket-taker over several years in the IPL, was let go by the Gujarat Titans. He claimed 28 wickets in the 2023 season. However, he missed last season due to injury and is yet to regain 100% fitness, which could be a primary reason behind his release.
Impact player - Yuzvendra Chahal
Rajasthan Royals letting go of their premier spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is a curious and shocking move. He has been a consistent performer in the IPL and also impressed for the Royals with 21 wickets in 2023 and 18 wickets in 2024. Chahal's release is a move that the Royals might regret going forward.