Rajasthan Royals (RR) drew eyeballs with their decisions on the IPL 2025 retention day, retaining two players for a substantial amount of Rs 18 crore each. Sanju Samson, the team's captain, was confirmed to be retained for this amount.
RR turn heads with their IPL 2025 retention list
In a surprising move, RR also retained young talent Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has established himself as a regular opener for the Indian cricket team in both Test and T20I formats. Notably, RR released their star batsman Jos Buttler.
Apart from Samson and Jaiswal, RR also retained Riyan Parag (Rs 14 crore), Dhruv Jurel (Rs 14 crore), Shimron Hetmyer (Rs 11 crore), and Sandeep Sharma (uncapped category, Rs 4 crore).
Dhruv Jurel salary soared from 20 lakh to 14 crore on IPL 2025 retention day
One of the most surprising retentions was that of Dhruv Jurel. His valuation skyrocketed from 20 lakh to a staggering 14 crore, marking an increase of 13 crore and 80 lakh. Dhruv, who has represented India in both Test and T20I cricket, joined RR in the 2022 IPL mega-auction for a mere 20 lakh.
Despite his limited IPL experience, having played only 13 games in the 2023 season, Dhruv's impressive performances in domestic cricket and his Test debut for India earned him this significant pay hike. He also played 14 matches in the 2024 IPL season.
While it was widely expected that Dhruv Jurel would be retained by RR, the franchise surprised everyone by offering him a significant contract of Rs 14 crore. Dhruv has showcased his talent in T20 cricket, scoring 445 runs in 40 matches with an impressive strike rate of 133.63. He is currently part of the Indian Test squad for the ongoing series against New Zealand and the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. However, with Rishabh Pant being India's first-choice wicketkeeper, Dhruv didn't get a chance to play in the home Test series.
Dhruv is likely to remain on the bench for the upcoming Test series in Australia as well. Rishabh Pant's exceptional Test record makes him an indispensable part of the Indian Test team, and it's unlikely that anyone will replace him in the playing XI. While Pant hasn't been consistently performing in white-ball cricket, his Test performances continue to impress.
