New Zealand players taking part in the IPL have a rich history. Brendon McCullum started the tournament in bright fashion with an unbeaten score of 158 in the league opener.
The transition from good New Zealand cricketers is now led by Devon Conway, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson and Rachin Ravindra, among others. All of them have been instrumental in the team’s success over the years.
The IPL 2025 Mega Auction will give all these players another chance to get a franchise. Many of them are expected to remain with the franchise they play for.
Conway is almost certain to join CSK and Boult Rajasthan Royals and they will continue to play for the same franchise.
Talking about retentions, it was one of the most discussed topics at the recent meeting between the IPL owners. Most of the franchises are not in favour of mega auctions as it forces them to destabilise the core of the team.
However, they are in favour of holding mini auctions every year. The BCCI responded that they will review the suggestions and take a decision by the end of the month.
Also Read: Complete list of foreign players Delhi Capitals will release ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction
Meanwhile, in this article, we pick five New Zealand cricketers who may retire from T20 cricket if they are not selected in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
New Zealand legends to retire from T20 if not called up for IPL 2025
Tim Southee
Southee played for several IL franchises namely CSK, RR and KKR. He is the leading wicket-taker in international T20I cricket with 164 wickets. He recently played in the T20 World Cup for New Zealand.
The Kiwis who made it to the qualifiers of the last two T20 World Cups lost to Afghanistan and were eliminated from the tournament. Southee last played in the IPL 2022 for KKR. In case he is not sold, he may think about retiring from T20s.
Glenn Phillips
Despite being a brilliant batsman and defender, teams don’t often have Glenn Phillips in their squad. His last appearance was for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who kept him on the bench for the entire IPL 2024.
He is a top-order batsman but has never had a chance to bat in the top five in the IPL. If he does not cool down in this IPL auction, he may think of retiring from T20s.
Tim Seifert
Seifer is a New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman who has played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He played one match in 2021 and two matches for KKR in IPL 2022.
He plays in T20 leagues around the world but has never found his place in the IPL. If he is not selected for the 2025 IPL, he may retire from T20 cricket.
Ish Sodhi
Sodhi is another one of those international cricketers who, despite having a brilliant international record, has never had a long run in the IPL.
He played just 8 matches in his IPL career and took just nine wickets. He even worked as a spin consultant with Rajasthan Royals.
Kane Williamson
After the 2024 T20 World Cup, it will be interesting to see how long Kane Williamson will play international cricket. Under his leadership, the Kiwis failed to make it to the last 16 of the T20 World Cup.
This leaves fans wondering if any of the franchises will buy him back at the next auction.
Also Read: Complete list of foreign players Gujarat Titans to release ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction