On expected lines, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have retained Virat Kohli as the top choice ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction in November. The question was always going to be Kohli and who else as far as RCB were concerned and that answer came in the form of Rajat Patidar.
IPL 2025 Player Retentions LIVE
Kohli, who has been integral to RCB, is slated to captain the side next year. The Bengaluru-based franchise have never won the title but have gone close by finishing runners-up thrice, including once under Kohli’s captaincy.
Kohli’s retention was a no-brainer for the franchise considering his stellar record in the IPL. He has scored 8004 runs from 252 matches at an average of 38.67, strike rate of 131.97 with eight centuries and 55 fifties in his resume. He is the leading run-scorer in IPL history ahead of Shikhar Dhawan (6769 runs) and Rohit Sharma (6628 runs).
BREAKING & LIVE : #IPL 2025 Final Retentions @ 5.30pm
During the 2024 season, Kohli scored 741 runs from 15 matches at an average of 61.75, strike rate of 154.70, as he struck one century and five fifties. It resulted in him clinching the Orange Cap, accolade for the leading run scorer in the tournament, ahead of Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (583 runs).
Additionally, Kohli will lead the RCB in IPL 2025 with the franchise not retaining the 40-year-old Faf du Plessis. The former South Africa batter had been the captain of the team since Kohli stepped down after the 2021 edition.
Not among the retentions is India seamer Mohammed Siraj who was retained for Rs. 7 Crore ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.
Siraj, who joined RCB from Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018, took 83 wickets in six seasons with the team. His standout season was in 2023, with 19 wickets, and he followed it up with 15 wickets in 2024. RCB might still use a Right to Match (RTM) card for Siraj, and other members of the squad, during the auction.
Here’s what RCB spent to retain the three players:
Retention 1: Virat Kohli for INR 21 Crore
Retention 2: Rajat Patidar for INR 11 Crore
Retention 3 (Uncapped): Yash Dayal for INR 5 Crore
The sum of the above, INR 37 Crore, will be deducted from the total auction purse of INR 120 crore for IPL 2025.
