November 24, 2024: The IPL 2025 Mega Auction is shaping up to be an exciting and highly competitive event, set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Monday. With 1,574 players registered for the auction, including 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players, this auction promises to deliver plenty of drama, bidding wars, and strategic maneuvering as IPL franchises prepare for the next three years of action.
Total Players:
1,574 players in total will go under the hammer, including 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations.
Indian players: 1,165 total, with 366 released players.
Overseas players: 409 total, including notable cricketing nations like Australia, South Africa, England, and more.
Breakdown of Players:
- Capped Indian players: 48
- Capped international players: 272
- Uncapped Indian players: 965
- Uncapped international players: 104
- Uncapped players with prior IPL experience: 152 Indian and 3 international.
Top International Registrations:
- Australia leads with 76 players, followed by South Africa with 91 and England with 52 players.
- Other countries like New Zealand (39), West Indies (33), and Afghanistan (29) also have strong representations.
- USA has 10 players registered, while smaller cricketing nations like Bangladesh, Ireland, and Canada are also involved.
Available Slots:
- There are 204 available slots for teams to fill, with 70 of those reserved for overseas players. Each franchise can have a maximum of 25 players, so competition for spots will be fierce.
Highest Reserve Prices:
- INR 2 crore is the highest reserve price, with 81 players choosing this bracket.
- The largest group of players has a base price of INR 30 lakh, comprising 320 players.
Marquee Players:
- The auction will see some big names in the marquee player category, including:
- Indian stars: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul.
- International stars: Mitchell Starc, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, and Kagiso Rabada.
- The marquee players are split into two sets for the first time since 2018, with 7 Indian players and 5 overseas stars making the cut.
Right-to-Match (RTM) Cards:
- The RTM card allows teams to buy back a player they have released by matching the highest bid.
- Teams like Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have no RTM cards because they have retained the maximum allowed number of players (six).
- Teams with RTM cards:
- Punjab Kings (PBKS) – 4 RTMs
- Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) – 3 RTMs
- Delhi Capitals (DC) – 2 RTMs
- Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat Titans (GT), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Mumbai Indians (MI) – 1 RTM each.
Released Players:
- 574 players were released by their respective franchises ahead of the auction, with 366 being Indian players and 208 international players, including 3 from Associate Nations.
- The auction is expected to see intense bidding wars, especially for marquee players and top talents. Teams will need to carefully strategize within their budget, balancing the acquisition of star players with the need for squad depth and youth potential.
- With the 2025 season set to last for three years, the auction is particularly important for franchises to secure long-term players who can make an impact across multiple seasons.
The IPL 2025 Mega Auction in Jeddah is set to be a spectacle, bringing together the best of global and domestic T20 talent. As franchises make their bids for players, the auction will offer a fascinating glimpse into the future of the IPL, where new stars will rise, established ones will change teams, and the landscape of the league could shift dramatically. Fans can expect plenty of action, surprises, and potentially record-breaking bids as the world’s premier T20 league continues to grow in stature and global appeal.
