Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are the only two Windies players whose services have been retained by their respective teams ahead of the 2018 Indian Premier League auction in August.

It comes as part of the first step by the 8 franchises to reform their respective teams for the upcoming campaign after the squads were disbanded at the end of the 2017 season.

The salary cap to form a squad for the upcoming season has been set by the IPL at approximately US $12.4 million. A franchise is allowed to pick up to five of their existing players through a combination of retention ahead of the auction and the right-to-match card during the auction.

A team could retain up to three players ahead of the auction, and they can use a maximum of three right-to-match cards during the auction.

Russell, who is serving a one-year ban for a whereabouts rule violation, will return to the Kolkata Knight Riders where he will be paid US $1.1 million dollars.

Narine, who is also a member of the Knight Riders, was retained for US $1.3 million.

Sunil Narine

Russell and Narine, as well as being the only West Indians to be retained by their teams, were also the only players retained by the Knight Riders.

Virat Kohli is the only player to be retained by an IPL franchise for an amount greater than that set by the IPL for the first player retained: Kohli will be paid US $2.67 million by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2018 season.

South African batsman AB de Villiers and the uncapped Sarfaraz Khan were the only other players retained by RCB: A move that means the franchise will have to match offers to re-acquire the services of star batsman Chris Gayle at the auction which is scheduled for August 2.