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RR retained six players for Rs 79 crore and signed 14 more for Rs 40.70 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, which took place in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.
RR’s strongest playing XI for IPL 2025. (Picture Credit: Sportzpics, PTI)
First-ever IPL winners Rajasthan Royals entered the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah with a purse of Rs 41 crore after retaining six players from the 2024 squad. In the two-day event, the Jaipur-based franchise signed as many as 14 players for Rs 40.70 crore. England pacer Jofra Archer, who has played for the franchise from 2018 to 2021, was signed for Rs 12.50 crore, and they spent Rs 6.50 crore and Rs 5.25 crore for Indian pacer Tushar Deshpande and Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, respectively.
Royals invested heavily in bowlers in the mega auction after already retaining a strong core of Indian batters.
Here’s a look at RR’s strongest playing XI for IPL 2025:
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Yashasvi Jaiswal will open for RR in IPL 2025. The left-handed Indian batter was retained for Rs 18 crore by the Jaipur-based franchise. Since making his debut in the IPL in 2020, 22-year-old Jaiswal has scored 1607 runs in 53 matches for the Men in Pink.
Sanju Samson (C & WK): Sanju Samson will lead Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025. The 29-year-old Kerala batter was retained for Rs 18 crore. Sanju is RR’s most-capped player and leading run scorer in IPL history. In 168 IPL matches played so far, Samson has 4419 runs to his name.
Nitish Rana: RR signed KKR’s IPL 2023 captain Nitish Rana for Rs 4.20 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Rana, who has also played for MI in the cash-rich league overall, has 2636 runs to his name in 107 IPL matches, and he has also picked up 10 wickets.
Riyan Parag: Rajasthan Royals retained Assam batter Riyan Parag for Rs 14 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The 23-year-old cricketer, who made his ODI and T20I debut for India this year, has scored 1173 runs in 70 IPL matches played so far. He finished as RR’s leading run scorer in IPL 2025 with 573 runs to his name in 16 matches.
Dhruv Jurel: Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel was also retained by RR for Rs 14 crore. The 23-year-old Jurel made his IPL debut in 2023 and has 347 runs to his name in 28 matches.
Shimron Hetmyer: RR showed a lot of faith in West Indies middle-order batter Shimron Hetmyer by retaining him for Rs 11 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The left-handed batter, who led the West Indies to the U-19 World Cup title win in 2016, will play as a finisher once again. Hetmyer, who has played for DC and RCB in the past, overall has 1243 runs to his name in 72 IPL matches played so far.
Wanindu Hasaranga: RR signed former Sri Lankan T20I captain and star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga for Rs 5.25 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The 27-year-old is one of the best all-rounders in T20 cricket at present times. In 26 IPL matches played so far, he has picked up 35 wickets. He has 125 wickets to his name in just 76 T20Is for Sri Lanka.
Jofra Archer: Jofra Archer will play for RR again in IPL 2025. He was signed for Rs 12.50 crore by the franchise in the IPL 2025 mega auction. In his first stint for RR (2018-2021), Archer played 35 matches and picked up 46 matches. He won the MVP award in IPL 2020.
Sandeep Sharma: RR retained Sandeep Sharma for Rs 4 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Sandeep, who has played for PBKS and SRH as well in the cash-rich league overall, has 137 wickets to his name in 127 IPL matches.
Fazalhaq Farooqi: Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi will lead RR’s pace attack in IPL 2025. The left-arm pacer was signed for Rs 2 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Farooqi has played a total of seven matches in the IPL and has six wickets to his name. The 24-year-old finished as the joint-leading wicket-taker in T20 World Cup 2024 and played a big role in the team’s run to the semifinals.
Tushar Deshpande: Former CSK pacer Tushar Deshpande, who has also played for DC in the IPL, will bowl with the new ball for RR in the IPL 2025. The Mumbai-based cricketer was signed for Rs 6.50 crore and overall has 42 wickets to his name in 36 IPL matches played so far.
Other players: Maheesh Theekshana (Rs 4.40 crore), Kwena Maphaka (Rs 1.50 crore), Akash Madhwal (Rs 1.20 crore), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rs 1.10 crore), Shubham Dubey (Rs 80 lakh), Yudhvir Charak (Rs 35 lakh), Ashok Sharma (Rs 30 lakh), Kunal Rathore (Rs 30 lakh), Kumar Kartikeya (Rs 30 lakh)
