The coveted cricket carnival the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) is set to be an intriguing affair. This will be the first season after another mega-auction, which guarantees a lot of surprises as many players will be shifting bases and donning new jerseys.
On Thursday, October 31, teams submitted their final lists of retained players and some of the decisions have captivated the cricket fraternity. It was fascinating for the fans to see how some top players took pay cuts to help their teams with their auction purses.
From Sunrisers Hyderabad Captain Pat Cumminsto the uncapped Gujarat Titans batter Shahrukh Khan, players settled for lower salaries to allow their franchise owners the opportunity to assemble formidable squads at the mega-auction, which is expected to be held in the last week of November.
Here are the top players who took biggest pay cuts after IPL 2025 retentions:
5. Shahrukh Khan
The Tamil Nadu cricketer was roped in by Gujarat Titans for a staggering INR 7.40 crore in the mini-auction ahead of IPL 2024. Shahrukh Khan didn’t play from the beginning of the season but made an impact towards the fag end when the former champions were struggling to deliver as a unit. In seven matches, the right-handed batter scored 127 runs at an average of 18.14 and a strike rate of 169.33. He scored his maiden half-century in the cash-rich league when he slammed 58 off 30 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad, albeit, in a losing cause.
Shahrukh Khan has been a force to reckon with in T20 cricket for his state as well as in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. The Titans management is backing him to translate those performances into the IPL. The 29-year-old has been retained for INR 4 crore as an uncapped player.
4. Rahul Tewatia
Another Gujarat Titans player, Rahul Tewatia, also accepted a massive pay cut as his salary dropped from INR 9 crore to INR 4 crore. The flamboyant all-rounder was retained as the second uncapped player by the Shubman Gill-led side. Tewatia had a decent season with the bat in IPL 2024, as he scored 188 runs from 12 matches, at an average of 26.86 and a strike rate of 145.74. The 31-year-old is a handy leg-spinner but IPL 2024 was the first season where he wasn’t used with the ball.
He has been with the Titans since IPL 2022 and has only bowled 49 balls across three seasons. However, Tewatia is an experienced finisher down the order for the Titans. Shahrukh and Tewatia can help the Titans finish close games with their ability to hit the big shots from the get-go. There is Rashid Khan, who can form a troika with them and help the Titans finish strongly.
3. MS Dhoni
The legendary MS Dhoni has been retained once again by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but this time as an uncapped player. The IPL Governing Council revived a previous rule which allows a cricketer who hasn’t played internationals for the previous five years to be considered uncapped. Dhoni, who played his last international encounter in the ODI World Cup 2019 semi-final against New Zealand in July, fit the bill perfectly. Dhoni was getting INR 12 crore from the Men in Yellow till last season.
However, this time, the five-time champions acquired his services for just INR 4 crore. The 43-year-old is in the twilight stage of his career, which he is trying to enjoy to the fullest. In IPL 2024, Dhoni handed the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad and assisted the youngster from behind. Dhoni dropped down the batting order and gave himself only a few balls to face. He tried to score as many runs as he could off those few deliveries and finished the season with an awe-inspiring strike rate of 220.55.
2. Andre Russell
Andre Russelland Sunil Narine share a very special bond with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and it wasn’t a surprise to see both of them being retained by the defending champions. Russell didn’t have much of a role to play with the bat in the IPL 2024 season as KKR’s top-order were in excellent form. However, the all-rounder did provide some memorable performances with the ball, including a three-for in the final. Russell was receiving INR 16 crore from the Knights till IPL 2024.
Even though he was supposed to get 16 crores yet again considering the slot he was retained under, however, he was retained for INR 12 crore after salary adjustments, ahead of the forthcoming season of the IPL. The understanding between the franchise and the player is such that the discussion around the salary adjustment must not have taken too much time. The seasoned veteran scored 222 runs in IPL 2024 at an average of 31.71 and a strike rate of 185. With the ball, he claimed 19 wickets from 14 innings at an average of 15.53. The 36-year-old will look to make a similar impact for KKR if not more in the upcoming season.
1. Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins was roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ahead of IPL 2024 and appointed as the captain of the side, replacing Aiden Markram. The Australian skipper led from the front and guided his team to the finals, where they lost to KKR. Cummins joined the Orange Army for a whopping INR 20.50 crore. However, he has been retained for INR 18 crore this time.
Apart from his remarkable leadership and man-management skills, Cummins adds a lot of value with the ball and also chips in with useful contributions with the bat. In IPL 2024, he scored 136 runs at an average of 22.67 and a strike rate of 143.16. Meanwhile, with the ball, he picked up 18 wickets at an average of 31.44 and an economy rate of 9.28. Cummins bagged a lot of wickets in the middle overs and brought his team back into the matches.
