Picking the best non-retained overseas playing XII ahead of IPL 2025 Auction ft. Jos Buttler, Mitchell Starc 

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises submitted their retention list ahead of the mega-auction after a revised set of rules was introduced regarding the number of retentions and division of the purse amount.

Despite there being no limit on the number of overseas retentions, the franchises' desire to have a strong Indian core, have left several reputed international players out in the cold. The Mumbai Indians (MI) for instance chose not to retain a single overseas player, while the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) retained three of them, including their skipper Pat Cummins.

Subsequently, there is a plethora of overseas talent across all departments available in the auction pool now. There is a slight chance that some of them might end up with their original franchise courtesy of the RTM provision, but the likely fate is a new stint with a new franchise.

On that note, let us pick the best non-retained overseas playing XII ahead of the IPL 2025 Auction.

---

Top Order: Jos Buttler, Quinton de Kock, Phil Salt

Waning impact, inconsistency, and recurring injuries led to Jos Buttler's release from the Rajasthan Royals (RR). With the franchise devoid of RTM, there is a high chance that Buttler might end up in a new team altogether. However, he still remains one of the premier T20 openers in the world, who can take away the game once he finds his rhythm.

Quinton de Kock made a dominant start in his maiden season for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), but was far from his best after that. The South African brings a lot to the table with his experience, and could be a bargain buy in the auction. His recent form is another tick against his name as he was among the leading run-scorers in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 for the Barbados Royals.

Phil Salt had a blockbuster 2024 campaign with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but the defending champions did not have room for him in their retention roster. The English opener was unsold in the previous auction, but there is bound to be a bidding war for him after he availed the opportunity to showcase his ability.

---

Middle Order: Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Sam Curran, Tim David

Cameron Green unfortunately finds himself on the released side of things due to injury. The Australian all-rounder has shown in his two-year stint in the IPL that he is versatile when it comes to batting, and can chip in anywhere with his bowling. RCB expressed their desire to make Green their sole overseas retention, but with his unavailability for the 2025 season, it would have been a huge risk with a massive dent in their purse.

Glenn Maxwell is not someone unfamiliar with releases, but the way he turned around his IPL career with RCB was a promising sight. Despite a horrendous 2024 campaign, he still has a lot to offer as a genuine all-rounder. He had a relatively solid MLC 2024 campaign, and can be a valuable addition to one of the franchises.

One the most expensive acquisitions in IPL history, Sam Curran is released by PBKS after a roller-coaster three-year cycle. The all-rounder has evolved as a T20 player in the recent past, batting as a floater on a consistent basis, while leading on a sporadic basis as well. He still remains a good exponent of the new ball, and is a tricky customer to deal with in the death as well with his variations.

Tim David's succession act to Kieron Pollard in the Mumbai Indians (MI) did not pan out as planned. The big-hitter was always destined for release with MI's preference being their Indian core. David is arguably one of the most proven finishers in the auction pool at present, and is bound to kickstart a bidding war.

---

Lower Order: Mitchell Starc, Maheesh Theekshana, Trent Boult, Wanindu Hasaranga

The duo of Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult are perhaps two of the best bowlers that can maximize the effect of a new ball. The pair have been released by KKR and RR, respectively, ahead of the auction, with Starc having just made a return to the IPL after a prolonged absence.

The Sri Lankan pair of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga are two of the leading T20 spinners in the world. The former has been a vital cog in the CSK setup, bowling with the new ball at times, and keeping the run flow in check.

While Hasaranga had a stellar 2022 season, competing for the Purple Cap, he dipped in 2023, and pulled out of the 2024 edition. However, he still remains one of the most potent spinners in the world, and could be a genuine match winner on subcontinent conditions.

---

Imapct Player: Anrich Nortje

The Proteas fast bowler could inject some serious pace into the bowling unit led by two ageing pacers. He can help the spinners in the middle overs by keeping things tight in the middle overs, forcing the batters to make errors.