After a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, former Australian cricketer Tom Moody feels that Punjab Kings would use Right to Match (RTM) option for Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran and Kagiso Rabada before going into the mega auction later this year for the next edition of the league.
The IPL franchises can retain a total of six players from their existing squad. This can be either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.
The six retentions/RTMs can have a maximum of five capped players (Indian & Overseas) and a maximum of two uncapped players. The auction purse for the franchises has been set at Rs 120 crore for IPL 2025. The last date for the franchises to finalise their retention list is October 31.
“For Punjab Kings, I don't think I would retain any players, certainly not capped players, but I’d be looking to use the Right To Match option for players like Arshdeep Singh, Sam Curran, and Rabada. Jitesh Sharma is another one I’d consider using the Right To Match for in the auction," Moody told Star Sports about the potential IPL retentions for Punjab Kings.
He went on to pick uncapped Shashank Singh and Harpreet Brar as Punjab's possible retentions to complete their six players list. Shashank was the highest run-getter for the franchise in the last season with 354 runs at a strike rate of 164.65 including two half-centuries. On the other hand, Harpreet bagged seven wickets in 13 matches.
"When it comes to uncapped players, there are a couple of good players I’d like to secure before the auction: Shashank Singh, who is a solid middle-order power-hitter and had a great season last year, and Harpreet Brar, the left-arm spinner," the former Australian batter added.
In the 2024 edition, Punjab Kings finished second last from the bottom, winning five and losing nine matches. They will be hoping to revamp their squad through the player auction ahead of the upcoming edition of IPL.