Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja stated that he tips Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to retain Virat Kohli for the IPL 2025 tournament. On the other hand, Aakash Chopra stated that Faf du Plessis might not be so lucky and could be let go.
As per the retention rules, laid out by the BCCI and IPL GC: “The first retention will cost Rs 18 crore followed by second retention of Rs 14 crore and third retention of Rs 11 crore. However, if a franchise opts for fourth and fifth retention, they will again have to pay Rs 18 crore and Rs 14 crore respectively.”
With Virat Kohli nearly certain to be retained by RCB, IPL expert Aakash Chopra discussed the potential of RCB releasing Faf du Plessis.
“I don’t think they’ll be able to retain their captain. It’s not about his ability; it’s about his age. When you’re talking about a mega auction, it’s for the next three seasons. You have to question if Faf will be a part of this franchise for three more years, and I personally don’t think that’s likely. He’s a very active cricketer, but he’s not excelling in the CPL right now. All good stories come to an end,” Chopra said on JioCinema.
On the other hand, Ajay Jadeja said that RCB will be judicious with their retentions, but Virat Kohli will be a sure retention by them.
“We don’t even need to discuss Virat Kohli; it’s the same as (MS) Dhoni. I favour Rajat Patidar, whether it’s his style or his role in RCB’s revival. He’s the future. In the 4 CR range, you have Anuj Rawat, who has played well alongside Patidar. Wicketkeeper-batsmen are rare commodities, especially of high quality.
In terms of overseas players, I think they like changing players and styles every year. I think they’re going to retain a total of two or three players. I believe retaining Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal will be an emotional decision. If the backend remains the same, then there is a chance that Dayal gets picked before Siraj. If not, then the new personnel in charge will look at starting from scratch. So, due to the RTM, I think not as many players will get retained,” Jadeja stated.
