R Sai Kishore retained by Gujarat Titans for Rs 2 crore in IPL 2025 auction

IPL 2025 auction update: Sai Kishore was released by Gujarat Titans ahead of this year’s mega auction.

Sai Kishore has risen through the ranks as a white-ball bowler. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Tamil Nadu spinner R Sai Kishore will continue to don the Gujarat Titans jersey after the team exercised its Right to Match (RTM) card to retain him for Rs 2 crore at the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Initially, Punjab Kings bid Rs 90 lakh for Sai Kishore, prompting GT to activate its RTM card. PBKS then raised the stakes, taking the bidding to Rs 2 crore, which was ultimately matched by Gujarat Titans, securing Sai Kishore’s return to the team.

Sai Kishore was earlier released by Gujarat Titans ahead of this year’s mega auction.

CSK gave Sai Kishore his maiden IPL gig in 2020, for his base price of Rs 20 lakh, although he didn’t get any games. But he soon had another stellar season for Tamil Nadu as they lifted the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He returned 4-1-11-0 in the final, opening the bowling, and had an economy rate of 4.82 in the tournament.

In July 2021, he was among the reserve bowlers for India’s T20I tour of Sri Lanka, and in 2022 he got a Rs 3 crore deal with Gujarat Titans.

The new franchise gave him five games and he bagged six wickets in its victorious season.

Sai Kishore was also part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.