At the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) Mega Auction, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the only two clubs who have not been granted the Right to Match (RTM) card and have kept their full quota of six players.

Sanju Samson will continue to guide the team, while Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and Yashasvi Jaiswal will all remain, giving the Royals a solid core of young players. The sole international retainer is Shimron Hetmyer. Under the uncapped quota, veteran bowler Sandeep Sharma has also signed a new contract with the team.

Because they would only have Rs. 41 crore to spend at the auction, RR now has the smallest purse in the room. Although they may miss out on several top players, RR has shown their appreciation for their former team and their intention to reassemble the core with their retentions.

The England captain is expected to start a bidding war, and the Royals will struggle to match his asking price. Jos Buttler, who has been a mainstay of their batting line since 2018, is unlikely to return.

The headline set will also include Yuzvendra Chahal, who within three seasons of joining RR became the team’s top wicket-taker. It would be shocking if RR could outbid all ten clubs. Likewise, Ravichandran Ashwin will pique the franchise’s attention, but the outcome of the auction will determine his destiny.

The Royals have a solid batting lineup, but they must assemble a bowling team from scratch outside of Sandeep Sharma. Priority will be given to a top-tier international pacer, and former star Trent Boult may make a comeback. It won’t come as a surprise if the Royals decide to make another offer for Nandre Burger, who showed promise last season. Josh Hazlewood and Kagiso Rabada may potentially be on RR’s want list.

RR is also considering acquiring a top-tier Indian bowler, although players like Arshdeep, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami may be costly, and their previous clubs may RTMed all three. Prasidh Krishna and Avesh Khan now have the opportunity to rejoin the squad.

The club now lacks all-round players; therefore, a player from outside might play both lower-order batting and pacer. Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, and Sam Curran will all be ideal for RR’s requirements.

Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Tanush Kotian, Sai Kishore, and Manav Suthar are some of the best Indian spinbowling all-rounders that RR is also looking to get.

In addition to certain international names like Adam Zampa, Wanindu Hasaranga, Adil Rashid, Noor Ahmed, Allah Ghazanfar, or Mujeeb-ur Rahman, RR may be considering Piyush Chawla or Rahul Chahar if they are unable to sign Chahal.

Predicted Targets for the Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 Auction

Marquee: Yuzvendra Chahal and Jos Buttler

Pacers: Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishma, Avesh Khan, Josh Hazlewood, Nandre Burger, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Trent Boult, and Nandre Burget

Adam Zampa, Wanindu Hasaranga, Adil Rashid, Noor Ahmed, Allah Ghazanfar, Mujeeb-ur Rahman, Ravichandran Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar, and Adam Zampa are the spinners.

All-Rounders: Tanush Kotian, R Sai Kishore, Washington Sundar, Gerald Coetzee, Sam Curran, Marco Jansen, and Manav Suthar