Entries, surprises and notable unsold players

Auction highlights

Rishabh Pant made headlines as the most expensive signing in IPL history, securing a record deal of INR 27 crores with Lucknow Super Giants. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals shocked the cricket world by picking 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, making him the youngest player ever to be drafted into the IPL.

However, the auction was not only about the huge salaries. Several established stars and young talents surprisingly went unsold, leaving fans and analysts scratching their heads.

Big names that went unsold

Bodies

Despite their illustrious careers, several top-order players failed to attract offers, signaling a change in team dynamics and strategies.

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

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

Bowlers

Even as bowlers dominated the history of the IPL, some big names could not find takers.

• 
  Piyush Chawlaone of the highest wicket takers in the league, went unsold at a base price of INR 50 lakhs.
• 
  Mustafizur Rahman and Naveen-ul-Haqboth set at INR 2 crore, found no takers.
• Other notable unsold bowlers are also included Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jason Behrendorfand Umesh Yadav.

Comprehensive

Despite their comprehensive usefulness, the introduction of Impact Player Rule it seems to have reduced the importance of all-rounders in team combinations.

• 
  Shardul Thakur (Base Price: INR 2 Crores)
• 
  Daryl Mitchell (Base Price: INR 2 Crores)
• 
  Sikandar Raza and Kyle Myersstars of recent international tournaments also remained unsold.

Wicketkeepers

The absence of offers for England Jonny Bairstow (Base Price: INR 2 Crores) raised eyebrows. Other guards, including Alex Carey and Josh Phillipalso remained unsold.

Emerging topics from the auction

• 
  Youth over experience: The focus on younger players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi indicates that teams are prioritizing long-term investments over established veterans.
• 
  Specialized roles: With tactical innovations like Impact Player Ruleteams seem to prefer players with highly specialized skills over multi-dimensional cricketers.
• 
  Market dynamics: High base prices have deterred offers for many experienced players, signaling the need for veterans to reassess their valuation.

Opportunities ahead

All is not lost for unsold players. Franchises can still draft them as replacements during the season in case of injuries or withdrawals.

The IPL 2025 auction was a spectacle that highlighted the ever-evolving nature of cricket's most popular league. While some players rejoiced, others will be looking forward to future opportunities to shine on the big stage.