Varun Aaron's retention radar: Hits, misses, & the big-money busts of IPL 2025

Former India pacer Varun Aaron has weighed in on the IPL 2025 retention debate, offering clear views on who should stay and who should go ahead of the next season. With Punjab Kings, RCB, Gujarat Titans, and Mumbai Indians in the hunt for the title, attention is already turning to future squad overhauls.

In a video shared by ESPNcricinfo on X, Aaron scrutinized some of the biggest names and price tags from this season, suggesting major shakeups for struggling franchises — especially Chennai Super Kings, who finished bottom of the table for the first time ever.

CSK: Time to cut ties?

Aaron slotted Ravichandran Ashwin, Rachin Ravindra, and Devon Conway into the "release" category. CSK spent Rs 9.75 crore on Ashwin, who returned with just 33 runs and 7 wickets in 9 matches. Rachin (191 runs in 8 games) and Conway (156 in 6) also failed to live up to expectations.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Big bucks, low returns

Aaron was unimpressed by Ishan Kishan's inconsistent season, despite two standout knocks (106* and 94*). The Rs 11.25 crore man managed just 354 runs in 14 games.

He also questioned Mohammed Shami’s retention value, who bagged just 6 wickets in 9 games at an average of 56.16. However, Aaron backed Nitish Kumar Reddy for retention, believing in the young gun's potential.

KKR: Mixed views on big names

For the champions Kolkata Knight Riders, Aaron endorsed retaining Ajinkya Rahane, who led the batting charts for KKR with 390 runs in 13 matches.

But Venkatesh Iyer, one of the highest-paid players this season (Rs 23.75 crore), was called a "major flop" after scoring just 142 runs at 20.28.

LSG: Time for a reset?

Aaron believes Lucknow Super Giants should clean house. Injured pace prodigy Mayank Yadav, bought for ₹11 crore after a breakout 2024, couldn’t feature due to fitness issues.

Spin spearhead Ravi Bishnoi also struggled, with just 9 wickets in 11 matches and a bloated economy of 10.83.

He was especially critical of Rishabh Pant, who failed to bounce back after being dropped from the ODI XI. The Rs 16 crore man managed only 151 runs in 13 innings at 13.72, with just one notable knock — 63 vs CSK.