Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, all 10 franchises have announced their lists of retained and released players. Notably, Rajasthan Royals retained only six players, with England captain Jos Buttler absent from the list.
A vital part of the Rajasthan Royals since 2018, Buttler was a surprising omission. Following the news, he posted an emotional message to the franchise and fans. Buttler shared a heartfelt Instagram post with several photos in his Royals jersey, writing, “Thank you to Rajasthan Royals and everyone associated with the franchise for seven incredible seasons. The best years of my cricketing career began in 2018, and my fondest memories in the last six years have come in a pink jersey. Thank you for welcoming me and my family with open arms. There’s much more I could say, but let’s leave it here.”
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Buttler’s performance in the IPL has been brilliant, scoring 3,582 runs across 107 matches since his debut in 2016. In the 2024 season, he tallied 359 runs in 11 games with a high score of 107 not out, maintaining a strike rate of 140.
Rajasthan Royals Retained Six Key Players
Rajasthan Royals retained captain Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal, each at INR 18 crore, alongside young talents Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel at INR 14 crore each. Sandeep Sharma was retained as an uncapped player for INR 4 crore, while Shimron Hetmyer, the only foreign retention, was secured at INR 11 crore.