IPL retention burning questions: Why will Dhoni take pay cut? MI's dilemma amid Rohit question; LSG to end KL Rahul wait

More than the return of the right-to-match (RTM) option, the added twist, decided by the Governing Council members of the IPL on Saturday, sparked a major intrigue. With the 10 franchises left scratching their head over the possible retentions they would make ahead of the mega auction in November, we take a look a how it could work for each of the teams and who would take the risk of using the RTM card at the auction. MS Dhoni (L) with Rohit Sharma during IPL 2023(IPL)

The defending champions are spoilt for choices. With teams allowed to retain six players, comprising a maximum of five capped (Indian and overseas) and two uncapped (Indian), KKR will have to pick among Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy. Not to forget, they do have the RTM option, which they are a big fan of. Kolkata are certain to retain the two West Indies all-rounders and Rinku, but will have to ponder over Iyer, who may not have had a memorable 2024 season with the bat, but was clinical as a captain. Among the uncapped players they have Harshit, although he might be expected to make his international debut next week in India's home T20I series against Bangladesh. This implies, the three-time champions will likely use the RTM for Varun.

The 2016 champions have hardly to worry over their retention list, with Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins and Abhishek Sharma being their options, while RTM could be used for Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan.

With BCCI reviving the 'uncapped player' rule after three years, CSK heaved a sigh of relief as the decks cleared for the five-time champions to retain Dhoni, who would, however, take a pay cut. In 2021, the former India captain was retained for INR 12 crore, but under the new IPL rule, he would take INR 4 crore in 2025. Besides the India legend, Chennai are likely to retain captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja. They could also go for Matheesha Pathirana or Shivam Dube, or use the RTM for them.

They surely have some head-scratching to do. Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah are a certainty for sure. Given they made Hardik Pandya the skipper last season, they are unlikely to let go of him or even risk the RTM route, given the dearth of world-class fast-bowling all-rounders in T20 cricket.

Up next Rohit Sharma. Will MI retain him? Or the bigger question, will Rohit want to stay in MI amid the reports on tension in the dressing room over Hardik's announcement? Well, MI will not risk that, either. Letting go of a T20 World Cup-winning skipper would be a blunder. This means they have to shell out half their purse and go in with INR 60 crore in the auction with the aim to use the RTM for Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma. They could also retain uncapped players in Nehal Wadhera or Nama Dhir, which could further reduce their purse value.

The 2008 champions are in for a dilemma as well with options like Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Rovman Powell, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin at their disposal, along with Sandeep Sharma, who could be retained as an uncapped player having last played for India in 2015. However, Rajasthan are likely to pick Samson, Buttler, Jaiswal, Chahal and Sandeep and use the RTM for Parag.

Virat Kohli is a certainty. But will they retain captain Faf du Plessis or fast bowlers Yash Dayal and Mohammed Siraj, or Glenn Maxwell, who had a horrid 2024 season? They might retain Faf, given his batting prowess at the top of the order, but the 40-year-old is unlikely to remain as the captain.

PBKS will be looking to make a fresh start under new head coach Ricky Ponting. Liam Livingstone and Arshdeep Singh are likely to be retained, along with uncapped players Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma. They are probably the only franchise unlikely to use the RTM at the auction.

Their biggest question - will LSG retain KL Rahul? They have been rumours that all is not well between the captain and co-owner Sanjeev Goenka after that viral video from IPL 2024. Furthermore, Goenka has remained tightlipped on retaining Rahul, who met him at his Kolkata office earlier last month. Nicholas Pooran is however a certainty to make the retention list, while LSG could also ponder over Ravi Bishnoi.

The T20 World Cup-winning trio of Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav, along with explosive Australia opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, are sure to be retained.

Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan are a surety. Sai Sudharsan and Mohit Sharma could also make that list using the 'uncapped' rule. However, they could choose between David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, and Mohammed Shami.

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