The Rajasthan Royals (RR) came to the IPL 2025 auction with some significant retentions. RR’s retained core includes key players like captain Sanju Samson, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the explosive Shimron Hetmyer. On day 1 of the auction RR made some bold moves to let go some star players like Jos Buttler, Yuzvebdra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin.
RR’s standout move was securing the services of English speedster Jofra Archer for ₹12.5 crore. Archer, the IPL MVP during his 2020 stint with the Royals, brings world-class pace and death-over expertise to the table. His return marks a homecoming and a significant boost to RR’s bowling arsenal.
The Royals also invested heavily in Sri Lankan talent, bringing in star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga for ₹5.25 crore and spinner Maheesh Theekshana for ₹4.4 crore. Hasaranga’s spin-bowling prowess and ability to deliver with the bat make him a two-dimensional asset, while Theekshana adds variety to the spin attack.
Adding depth to their Indian bowling options, RR secured Akash Madhwal for ₹1.2 crore. Madhwal, who rose to prominence with stellar performances for Mumbai Indians in 2023, has proven his mettle in high-pressure situations. Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya was a budget-friendly pick at ₹30 lakh, further bolstering the domestic contingent.
On day 2 of the IPL auction 2025, Rajasthan Royals bought ex-KKR skipper Nitish Rana for a huge paycheck of INR 4.20 crore. Rana has played for Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders and has won trophies with both of them. The inaugural year champions also bought pacer Tushar Deshpande for INR 6.50 crore and uncapped Shubham Dubey and Yudhvir Charak for INR 80 and 35 Lakhs respectively.
Rajasthan Royals full squad for IPL 2025:
- Sanju Samson (Retained)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (Retained)
- Riyan Parag (Retained)
- Sandeep Sharma (Retained)
- Shimron Hetmyer (Retained)
- Dhruv Jurel (Retained)
- Jofra Archer - Rs 12.5 crore
- Maheesh Theekshana - Rs 4.4 crore
- Wanindu Hasaranga - Rs 5.25 crore
- Akash Madhwal - Rs 1.2 crore
- Kumar Kartikeya - Rs 30 lakh
- Nitish Rana - Rs 4.2 crore
- Tushar Deshpande - Rs 6.5 crore
- Shubham Dubey - Rs 80 lakh
- Yudhvir Charak - Rs 35 lakh
- Fazalhaq Farooqi - Rs 2 crore
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi- Rs. 1.10 crore
- Kwena Maphaka- Rs. 1.50 crores
- Kunal Rathore - Rs. 30 Lakhs
- Ashok Sharma - Rs. 30 Lakhs