“What is the logic?” – Aakash Chopra on the Rajasthan Royals retaining Shimron Hetmyer ahead of Jos Buttler before IPL 2025 auction

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has questioned Rajasthan Royals thinking of retaining Shimron Hetmyer ahead of wicket-keeper bat Jos Buttler. The inaugural champions decided to retain Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, and Sandeep Sharma (as uncapped player) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Hetmyer was retained for INR 11 crore by RR but England’s white-ball captain could not find his name in the list of retained players. Buttler has scored 3582 runs in 107 IPL matches at an impressive average of 38.11 and a strike rate of 147.53 and thus RR not retaining him was a surprise.

“Rajasthan Royals was a team that had a lot of players to be retained. Whoever they would have left would have been unhappy. There are questions for sure. The three names that seemed would definitely stay included Sanju Samson, who is the captain, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. It was known that these two would 100 percent stay,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

“It was assumed that Riyan Parag would also stay and he stayed as well, although you thought Jos Buttler would be retained before Riyan Parag. Jos wasn’t retained and Shimron Hetmyer was retained. What is the logic? You let Jos Buttler go and you don’t have an RTM left as well,” Chopra added.

The renowned commentator noted that Buttler played some match-winning knocks for RR even when he wasn’t at his best.

“I admit that Jos Buttler’s last two years haven’t been that good but when he played badly, he scored two centuries, and both in winning causes. Whenever Jos does well, he wins the match, but they let him go. It seems like Jos is their global brand ambassador. He plays for them for the Paarl Royals as well. So you assumed this partnership would continue. I was very surprised they let Jos go,” he observed.

Chopra also feels it will be hard for Rajasthan Royals to grab leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal after releasing him. Chahal is the leading wicket-taker in IPL history with 205 scalps in 160 matches.

“Everyone believed they would definitely try to retain Yuzi Chahal, and even if he goes they would save the Right to Match card for him. At times, you think that you will keep him for the Right to Match card as no spinner might go for 11 crores. Fair play, but they let him go and didn’t keep the RTM card as well. You won’t get him again because you have spent a lot of money,” he said.

IPL 2025 mega auction will take place in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.