November 8, 2024: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the dates for the IPL 2025 mega auction, which will take place over two days on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This year’s auction has attracted 1,574 players (1,165 Indian and 409 overseas) aiming to secure spots in the prestigious league. The list features 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations. However, notable absences and surprising registrations have created a buzz, especially with England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes missing from the list.
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The initial long list will be trimmed down following consultations with franchises. Among the big names listed with a base price of Rs 2 crore are former captains Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer, who were recently released by their respective franchises (Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants, and Kolkata Knight Riders). Veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, previously with Rajasthan Royals, also hold a Rs 2 crore base price.
Indian stars with the highest base price include players like James Anderson, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, T Natarajan, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, and Umesh Yadav.
Young talents Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan are listed at a base price of Rs 75 lakh. Surprisingly, James Anderson, the legendary England pacer who recently retired from international cricket and has never played in the IPL, has registered with a base price of Rs 1.25 crore. Meanwhile, Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who was bought for Rs 24.50 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2024 season, also stands at a base price of Rs 2 crore.
Adding diversity to the pool, Italian player Thomas Draca, who was recently picked by MI Emirates for the ILT20 league in the UAE, has also registered for the auction, showcasing the IPL’s global reach.
As the auction date approaches, fans eagerly await to see which players will make the final cut and what surprises are in store.