Records, surprises and notable unsold players

Auction highlights

Rishabh Pant grabbed headlines as the most expensive purchase in IPL history, securing a record-breaking INR 27 Crore contract with Lucknow Super Giants. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals shocked the cricket world by selecting 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, making him the youngest player ever drafted in the IPL.

The auction wasn’t just about the huge paydays, however. Surprisingly, several established stars and young talents went unsold, embarrassing fans and analysts.

Big names that didn’t sell

Doughs

Despite their illustrious careers, several top-class batsmen failed to get offers, indicating a change in team dynamics and strategy.

• 
  David Warner (Base price: INR 2 crore)
• 
  Kane Williamson (Base price: INR 2 crore)
• 
  Prithvi Shaw (Base Price: INR 75 Lakh)
• 
  Mayank Agarwal (Base price: INR 1 crore)

The lack of offers for Warner and Williamson was particularly surprising given their consistent performances in the league over the years.

bowler

Although the bowlers dominated IPL history, some big names failed to find takers.

• 
  Piyush Chawlaone of the best wicket-takers in the league, was unsold at a base price of INR 50 lakh.
• 
  Mustafizur Rahman And Naveen-ul-Haqboth priced at INR 2 crore, failed to find a buyer.
• Other notable unsold bowlers are included Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jason BehrendorffAnd Umesh Yadav.

All-rounder

Despite its extensive benefits, the introduction of the Impact player rule seems to have reduced the importance of all-rounders in team combinations.

• 
  Shardul Thakur (Base price: INR 2 crore)
• 
  Daryl Mitchell (Base price: INR 2 crore)
• 
  Sikandar Raza And Kyle MayersStars of the last international tournaments also remained unsold.

Wicketkeeper

The lack of offers for England Jonny Bairstow (Base price: INR 2 crore) raised eyebrows. Other goalkeepers, including Alex Carey And Josh Philippealso remained unsold.

New topics from the auction

• 
  Youth instead of experience: The focus on younger players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi suggests teams are prioritizing long-term investments over established veterans.
• 
  Specialized roles: With tactical innovations like this Impact player ruleTeams seem to prefer players with highly specialized skills over multi-dimensional cricketers.
• 
  Market dynamics: High base prices discouraged many veteran players from bidding, suggesting that veterans need to reevaluate their valuation.

Opportunities before us

All is not lost for the unsold players. Franchises can continue to recruit them as replacements in the event of injuries or absences during the season.

The IPL 2025 auction was a spectacle that showcased the ever-evolving nature of cricket’s most popular league. While some players were happy, others are looking forward to future opportunities to shine on the big stage.