IPL 2025 Mega Auction: RCB And Punjab Kings Might Break Their Banks For One Delhi Capitals Star

IPL 2025 Player Retention: The buzz around the Indian Premier League is extremely high and that is not due to the start of the tournament, but the much-anticipated mega auctions. The Indian Premier League ( IPL ) governing council recently announced the retention rules and they are extremely tricky and have left franchises mulling over their auction strategies. Every franchise is entitled to six retentions that includes one Right To Match (RTM) card too.

Royal Challengers Benglauru and Punjab Kings In A Fix

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been two of the eight franchises out of ten who have featured from the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. RCB have played three finals (2009, 2011and 2016) and Punjab Kings have played only one final (2014) till this date and have always ended up on the losing side.

Much to RCB and PBKS' misfortunes, it feels like as if they are starting from the scratch as they keep on changing their strategies. But ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auctions, both these franchises have a major challenge on their hands and that is because of their captaincy. Now, one might very well argue that Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a very strong captain in Faf du Plessis. But, lets not forget that Faf is an ageing captain and franchises at the IPL 2025 mega auction will have to assemble a team that more or less remains stable for the next three years.

Punjab Kings on the other hand have a new coach in Ricky Ponting. Everybody knows how Ponting aka Punter functions and how he marshals his troop. It will be no surprise if Punjab do not retain anybody and start fresh, from the scratch. With Shikhar Dhawan retiring, Punjab certainly will want somebody to lead them.

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RCB And PBKS Might Rely On Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals have a very strong core and even they might be in a fix about how to get their retentions right. As far as things stand now, according to the new IPL retention rules, they might retain Rishabh Pant , Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. Three heroes of India's 2024 T20 World Cup win. Retaining five capped players and shelling out a total of INR 75 crores might be a big task, not just for Delhi, but other franchises too.

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If Delhi somehow manage to keep all these three players in their squad for the next season, then they might let go off all-rounder and Australia's captain Mitchell Marsh. Now Marsh, is a proven all-rounder. A pace bowling all-rounder, who can also bat at the top pf the order. Marsh has a unique blend of being equally good and effective with both the bat and the ball and has also gathered some exposure of captaining Australia in the T20Is.

Considering his skillsets and his ability to lead teams, Marsh might try and go back to the auction table. There is also another factor to it. The next edition of the T20 World Cup will be played in 2026 and that too in India, Mitchell Marsh might want some captaincy exposure and the experience of marshalling troops on Indian soil and hence, he might consider the option of taking up an additional role and there is no better way to do than captaining an IPL team over 60 odd days.