In the 18th edition of the TATA IPL, it hosted a mega auction giving teams a chance to rebuild their teams and to make way for exciting young prospects across the world. The teams were given a chance to review their squad and to pick retentions from their squad so as to not send their key players into the IPL auction. Teams were also given the chance to use ‘RTM’ cards to retain their players during the auction at any price which is to be decided by the highest bidder of the respective player. Here is a list of the highest paid IPL players in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League:
Top 10 Highest Paid Players in IPL 2025
10. Jasprit Bumrah- Rs.18 crore
Bumrah, undoubtedly one of the best bowlers in his generation, was retained by Mumbai Indians ahead of the mega auction. He would have certainly been a no brainer option for every team in the IPL as he fits into any team in the world with his phenomenal bowling skills and accurate yorkers. Jasprit Bumrah is the highest paid player in the Mumbai Indians squad and deservedly so due to his unmatchable ability to control the game and to rescue his team from the jaws of defeat. He picked up 20 wickets at an economy rate of 6.48 last season which makes him an obvious retention pick.
9. Sanju Samson- Rs.18 crore
Sanju Samson has been Rajasthan Royals’s key batter in the recent years accumulating a decent amount of runs in every season at a good strike rate. He was retained by Rajasthan ahead of the mega auction knowing the demand for a high quality Indian wicket-keeping batsman amongst franchises. Sanju Samson amassed 531 runs at a strike rate of 153.47 making him a sure retention pick for Rajasthan Royals.
8. Pat Cummins- Rs.18 crore
Pat Cummins captained the Sunrisers Hyderabad side to their 3rd IPL final in 2024 but ended up losing to a dominant KKR side. Pat Cummins, arguably one of the best captains in the world, was a sure retention pick of the side due to his consistency and all round abilities. He scored 136 runs at a decent strike rate and scalped 18 wickets in his IPL 2024 campaign.
7. Ravindra Jadeja- Rs.18 crore
Ravindra Jadeja, a consistent performer of the Chennai Super Kings who has been their warrior over the years, was retained by the franchise ahead of the mega auction making him the highest paid player in the side. Jadeja can contribute exceptionally well with both bat and ball and is also a gun fielder. Jadeja had scored 267 runs and had taken 8 wickets in his IPL campaign.
6. Virat Kohli- Rs.21 crore
Virat Kohli, the only IPL player ever to play for just one franchise, was retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru which came as no real surprise. Virat has been consistently dominating the IPL stage over the years and is the leading run scorer of the tournament having several records to his name. Virat Kohli scored 741 runs at a strike rate of over 150, winning the orange cap in his previous IPL campaign.
5. Nicholas Pooran- Rs. 21 crore
Nicholas Pooran is one of the most beautiful strikers of the ball in todays generation and is an absolute luxury to have in any team of the world with his incredible batting skills and wicket-keeping skills. He was retained by the Lucknow Supergiants ahead of the mega auction. Pooran scored 499 runs at a strike rate of 178 last season making him an obvious retention choice for the franchise.
4. Heinrich Klaasen- Rs. 23 crore
Heinrich Klaasen has been in phenomenal form and is arguably one of the best batsman in T20 cricket nowadays. He has been retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the mega auction for his destructive hitting abilities and wicket-keeping skills. Klaasen scored 479 runs at a strike rate of 171 in the 2024 season, making his retention decision a no brainer for the SRH management.
3. Venkatesh Iyer- Rs.23.75 crore
Venkatesh Iyer is a fine Indian all rounder who can bat deep and depict himself as the 6th bowling option but the price tag of over 23 crore maybe a bit too much considering his recent performances and Kolkata Knight Riders could have retained him for a much smaller amount rather than releasing him. Venkatesh Iyer scored 370 runs at a decent strike rate of 158 in the 2024 season, making him a good all round option.
2. Shreyas Iyer- Rs.26.75 crore
Shreyas Iyer was picked by Punjab Kings in the mega auction and he captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to their 3rd IPL title last year. Shreyas Iyer is a solid middle order batsman who plays spin very well and can score runs in the middle overs without much difficulty. Shreyas Iyer scored 351 runs at a strike rate of 146 in his previous campaign making him a good captaincy choice for the franchise
1. Rishabh Pant- Rs.27 crore
Rishabh Pant was picked by Lucknow Supergiants for a record Rs.27 crore bid making him the most expensive player in the history of the tournament. Pant is a young explosive wicket-keeping batsman who can add value to the squad with his fearless batting skills and bold captaincy. Pant scored 446 runs at a strike rate of 155 in his last outing at the IPL making him a good buy for LSG both as a batsman and captain.
