File photo of Sanju Samson© BCCI
There has been a lot of speculation over the various retentions ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season and Rajasthan Royals has been one specific franchise which has generated a lot of interest. With Rahul Dravid returning to the franchise as head coach, fans and experts have been quite keen about their retention policy. RR already boasts of a strong Indian core and according to a report by India Today, they are expected to retain Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag ahead of the auction. The report also claimed that they plan to use the RTM card on Yuzvendra Chahal.
The report claimed that Sanju Samson will be the first retention choice for Rajasthan Royals and the wicket-keeper batter is all set to lead the side once again. He enjoyed a brilliant run of form in IPL 2024 and considering his performances for India, he is expected to play a major role in IPL 2025.
Jaiswal has also been a mainstay of the Rajasthan Royals batting line-up for quite some time and the report claimed that it is been seen as an "expected move" to retain him. The youngster has excelled across formats and under Dravid's tutelage, he is expected to grow as a cricketer.
Riyan Parag is reportedly the third retention choice after an impressive show last year and his all-round abilities making him quite a favoured option in the eyes of the team management.
According to the report, sources suggested that RR are planning to use their RTM on veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal is currently the highest wicket-taker in IPL history but the franchise believes that they will be able to match the price that he can end up fetching in the auction.
If the franchise go forward with this plan of action, there is a chance that England cricketer Jos Buttler may not get retained and he will find himself in the auction pool ahead of the new season.