There is a high probability that wicketkeeper-batters KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel will enter the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction pool, scheduled for later this year. Currently, the deadline for all teams to complete their retentions before the mega auction is October 31. Each franchise can retain a maximum of six players via a combination of retention and the RTM option. The six retentions or RTMs can have a maximum of five capped players (a combination of Indian and overseas players) and a maximum of two uncapped players.
Rahul has made 1410 runs for the Lucknow Super Giants in 38 games for the franchise since joining them ahead of the 2022 season. Despite this, sources have indicated to IANS that he is likely to enter the mega auction instead of being retained by the franchise.
“There has been a strong word going around that Rahul really wants to enter the mega auction, as LSG may not retain him. Based on the outcomes from various discussions in terms of who will be retained or what price the retentions would be, one shouldn't be surprised if Rahul enter the auction list,” said sources to this news agency.
Rahul has previously represented Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. If he enters the mega auction, it wouldn't be surprising to witness many teams competing to rope him in their set-up, particularly considering his unique combination of being a capped wicketkeeper-batter with prior leadership experience.
Meanwhile, sources have mentioned to IANS that Jurel, with 28 IPL appearances for Rajasthan Royals starting from the 2023 season, is another capped India wicketkeeper-batter to enter the mega auction after apparently saying no to being retained by the franchise.
Jurel, who made his Test and T20I debuts for India this year, earned a name for himself in the IPL via his finishing skills, coming in as an Impact Player for the franchise in their matches and impressing everyone in the cricketing ecosystem with his solid temperament and work ethics.
IANS also understands that an unnamed senior Rajasthan Royals official was spotted in Bengaluru, where the Indian team is currently playing their Test series opener against New Zealand, suggesting that the franchise is still in talks with Jurel to retain him.
Previous IPL auctions have seen wicketkeeper batters like Ishan Kishan, Kumar Kushagra, and Robin Minz earn big paychecks in the auction due to their precious skill sets. Rahul and Jurel will likely attract considerable attention and potentially even higher bids if they enter the upcoming mega auction.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)