Well, the dust has settled and we already have our retention list for IPL 2025.

For anyone out of the loop, here’s a recap. The one-and-only Nicky P was our top retention pick for ₹21 crore followed by pace sensation Mayank Yadav and spin wizard Ravi Bishnoi for ₹11 crore each.

Iceman Mohsin Khan and the sensational Ayush Badoni were our uncapped picks for ₹4 crore each, leaving us with one RTM option and a remaining purse of ₹69 crore for the IPL 2025 Mega Auction to put together a champion team for the upcoming season.

Like most fans, our co-owner Shashwat Goenka is also thrilled about the retentions and the vision they represent for LSG’s future.

“He (Nicholas Pooran) is among the world's best batters and it was a no-brainer for us,” Shashwat Goenka told the Times of India.

The numbers attest to the statement. Nicky P has been one of the best, if not the best, T20 batters in the world over the past year.

He has scored 2251 runs in 68 T20 matches in 2024 at an average of over 45. No batter has managed to score more runs in the format over the course of a single calendar year to date.

The tally also includes the 499 runs the Windies ace scored while playing for us in IPL 2024. Nicky P also broke Chris Gayle’s record for the most T20 sixes hit in a calendar year this season and was selected in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Team of the Tournament as well.

Mayank Yadav’s rise since making his IPL debut for us last season has been nothing short of meteoric.

The youngster has already established a reputation for troubling opposition batters with raw pace and control and has been touted as a future star of Indian cricket.

However, there have been concerns over the youngster’s injury record with the speedster missing from action after playing four matches for us last campaign.

Mayank recovered to make his international debut against Bangladesh last month and impressed in the two matches he played but another injury saw him miss out on a spot in the India squad for the upcoming South Africa tour.

Shashwat Goenka, however, remains confident that Mayank will outgrow his injury issues with time and underlined the core reason behind putting the trust in the 22-year-old - his calibre as a match-winner.

“The way you look at it, when a player is playing a match, is he able to contribute to a win? I think Mayank fits that bill perfectly. He played in four games last season and picked up seven wickets. That itself shows the potential of the individual,” Shashwat Goenka explained.

Addressing any concerns about Mayank’s affinity to injuries, Shashwat Goenka noted, “If you look at other players with similar backgrounds, when they first started off, they were injury-prone as well, and they had to work on their fitness, if I can put it that way.”

“So that (injury) wasn’t the deciding factor; it was about when he plays, what is the contribution he makes to the game and to LSG. That was the guiding principle behind keeping him,” he added.

Shashwat Goenka also praised Mohsin’s death bowling prowess and Ayush’s consistency while labeling Bishnoi as a ‘phenomenal spinner’.