5 times an IPL captain was released by his franchise ahead of an auction ft. Shreyas Iyer

The much-awaited IPL 2025 retention lists for all 10 franchises were finally revealed on the evening of Diwali (October 31). Among the several hits and misses, the most glaring feature was the number of captains from the 2024 season released to the auction pool.

While some were along expected lines, others were stunners for even the ardent fans and experts. Yet, this wasn't the first instance of captains being let go by IPL franchises. Such occurrences have been surprisingly more common than previously believed.

However, the non-retention of captains becomes headline-grabbing when it is an icon player associated with the franchise or happens immediately after the franchise has enjoyed a successful campaign. While an overseas captain's non-retention is itself much-discussed, an Indian captain suffering such a fate becomes a major debating point for the next while.

On that note, let us look at five times an IPL captain was released by his franchise ahead of the auction (Mini or Mega).

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#1 Shreyas Iyer - KKR

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) releasing their 2024 title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer ahead of the 2025 auction made more noise in India on Diwali than the cumulation of the crackers burst.

After missing the playoffs a year ago, KKR enjoyed one of the best single-season performances in IPL history in 2024. They finished atop the points table and swept through the playoffs to claim their third IPL title. Iyer's leadership in marshaling the troops and rotating his bowlers manfully played a massive role in KKR's eventual domination of IPL 2024.

The 29-year-old also had a fairly impressive season with the bat, scoring 351 runs at an average of 39 and a strike rate of almost 147. It makes his non-retention almost incomprehensive, especially when KKR made four capped player retentions and two uncapped.

An educated guess from the outside is a potential mismatch between Iyer's expectations and the franchise's willingness during price negotiations, leading to the KKR skipper trying his hand at the auction.

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#2 Sourav Ganguly - KKR

IPL Twenty20 match between Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors India - Source: Getty

Shreyas Iyer fans can take solace from the fact even the Prince of Kolkata was once let go of by KKR ahead of the auction. After three tumultuous seasons from 2008 to 2010 that saw the franchise miss the playoffs on all three occasions, Sourav Ganguly was not retained by Kolkata ahead of the 2011 auction.

The former Indian captain led KKR to a sixth-place finish in IPL 2010 with seven wins in 14 outings. Ganguly's own batting form that season was far from the issue as he finished with 493 runs at an average of almost 38.

Yet, KKR was desperate for a new beginning and did not retain any player heading into the 2011 auction.

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#3 KL Rahul - PBKS

IPL 2024: RR Vs LSG-Lucknow And Rajasthan Practice In Jaipur - Source: Getty

KL Rahul's non-retention by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the 2022 auction was among the biggest surprises in IPL history. Having been part of the franchise from 2018 to 2021, Rahul also led PBKS in 2020 and 2021.

While the side did not qualify for the playoffs in either edition, the now-32-year-old enjoyed his best seasons with the bat. Rahul was the Orange Cap winner in 2020 with 670 runs and finished third in 2021 with 626 runs at an average of almost 63.

Although PBKS won only six out of their 14 matches in IPL 2021, retaining their captain and inarguable best batter for the next three-year cycle felt like a mere formality.

Yet, differences in price negotiations meant Rahul was reportedly unwilling to sign a contract with PBKS, resulting in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) picking him up from the 2022 IPL season.

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#4 Mayank Agarwal - PBKS

Immediately after KL Rahul's sudden non-retention, PBKS made another knee-jerk move, synonymous with the franchise over the years, with the release of Mayank Agarwal.

The 33-year-old was appointed the PBKS captain for IPL 2022 following Rahul's departure. However, they missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season, finishing with a 7-7 record in 14 games.

Agarwal had a forgettable campaign, scoring a dismal 196 runs at an average of 16.33. Yet, even with a proven track record before his sorry 2022 campaign, PBKS' patience had run out and they decided to part ways with the right-handed batter ahead of the 2023 auction.

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#5 Rishabh Pant - DC

Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals - 2024 Indian Premier League - Source: Getty

The Delhi Capitals (DC) are no strangers to making head-scratching moves and their latest non-retention was one such. Rishabh Pant, who has been with the franchise since 2016, was let go of into the auction despite the franchise making three capped-player retentions.

After supporting Pant through his year of absence due to injury in 2023, DC reinstated him as captain for the 2024 IPL season. The 27-year-old repaid the trust by finishing as their leading scorer with 446 runs at an average of 40.54 and a strike rate of over 155.

However, Pant's heroics could not help DC qualify for the playoffs as the side finished sixth with seven wins in 14 outings. It meant three consecutive years of missing the playoffs, leading to the franchise not retaining Pant for unknown reasons.