The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a spectacle like no other. It’s where cricket meets commerce, performance meets pressure, and every season brings with it a dizzying swirl of mega auctions, retentions, releases, and dramatic last-minute bids. For players, the league isn’t just a tournament, it’s an opportunity to build global fame and secure life-changing wealth. And for franchises, it’s about assembling the perfect puzzle with the right mix of youth, experience, star power, and budget control.
But a few players have defied this norm. These cricketers, even when faced with the chance to earn crores more by entering the auction pool, chose to stay. Not because it was the easy choice, but because it was the right one for them. Their decisions were rooted in relationships, legacy, fan connection, and a belief in something larger than personal gain.
Let’s take a look at five players who became symbols of unwavering loyalty, putting team ethos and long-term bonds above auction temptations.
5. Jasprit Bumrah
Franchise: Mumbai Indians (MI)
IPL Career: 2013–present
Retained For: ₹12 crore (2022)
Jasprit Bumrah’s IPL journey is the quintessential underdog story. Picked as a relatively unknown domestic pacer, he rose to become one of the most feared fast bowlers in world cricket. And through it all, he stayed loyal to one franchise, the Mumbai Indians. In a league where Indian pacers are worth their weight in gold, Bumrah could have commanded a record fee in a mega auction. But instead of entering the frenzy, he was retained for ₹12 crore in 2022, less than what newer, less-experienced bowlers would end up receiving. His bond with MI is built on mutual trust. They invested in his raw talent.
4. Suresh Raina
Franchise: Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat Lions (2016–2017)
IPL Career: 2008–2021
Auction Value Sacrificed: Estimated ₹10–12 crore (2016, 2018)
If Dhoni was the brain of CSK, Raina was undoubtedly its heart. With 5528 IPL runs and countless match-winning knocks, Suresh Raina was a linchpin in CSK’s batting lineup. He wasn’t just a batter, he was the glue that held the middle-order together, a reliable fielder, and often an emotional leader in Dhoni’s absence. Even after CSK’s two-year suspension in 2016, Raina didn’t jump ship permanently. He captained Gujarat Lions with dignity but made it clear that his heart was always in Chennai. In 2018, when CSK returned, Raina was one of the first players they brought back.
3. Rohit Sharma
Franchise: Mumbai Indians (MI)
IPL Career: 2011–present
Retained For: ₹16 crore (2022)
Before becoming MI’s greatest-ever captain, Rohit Sharma was a promising young batter at Deccan Chargers. But once Mumbai Indians brought him on board in 2011, the tides turned not just for him, but for the entire franchise. Under Rohit’s captaincy, MI has clinched five IPL titles, matching CSK’s record. He transformed a star-studded team into a championship machine, mentoring youngsters like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav into world-class cricketers. Rohit’s leadership helped MI move from being just another rich team to becoming a legacy club. He chose to build an empire rather than chase a fresh challenge.
2. Virat Kohli
Franchise: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
IPL Career: 2008–present
Retained For: ₹15 crore (2022)
No IPL player has stayed with a single franchise for as long as Virat Kohli has with RCB. Picked as an uncapped youngster in 2008, Kohli has grown with the franchise from brash talent to international megastar, from flamboyant batter to team captain and mentor. Despite the lack of an IPL trophy, Kohli has never once switched teams or even flirted with the idea of joining another franchise. In the 2022 cycle, after stepping down from the captaincy, Kohli still chose to be retained at ₹15 crore, less than his previous salary of ₹17 crore. And for Kohli, lifting the trophy with RCB remains the one unfulfilled dream worth more than any auction purse.
1. MS Dhoni
Franchise: Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
IPL Career: 2008–present
Retained For: ₹12 crore (2022)
When you think of CSK, the first image that comes to mind is MS Dhoni walking out in that bright yellow jersey, calm as ever, often with the fate of a match riding on his shoulders. Dhoni’s relationship with CSK is more than contractual. After being picked for a whopping $1.5 million in the inaugural auction, he transformed the team into the most consistent IPL franchise. Even when CSK was suspended for two years, Dhoni didn’t abandon the cause. In the 2022 mega auction cycle, Dhoni could have easily fetched ₹15–17 crore had he entered the open market. Instead, he accepted a lower retention fee of ₹12 crore, allowing CSK to retain more core players.
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