IPL 2025 Mega Auction

Deepak Chahar has had his setbacks with injury but for CSK and the Indian team, he has shown his quality as an all-rounder who has all the potential.

Not many bowlers begin their career, as well as Bhuvneshwar Kumar did, for India. He struck in his very first over in both ODIs and T20Is, both against Pakistan in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Another one of Indian cricket's extracts from the state of Uttar Pradesh, his predecessors being Praveen Kumar and RP Singh, Kumar is well renowned for his ability to swing the ball both ways. Bhuvneshwar got his name etched in the history books when he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for his first first-class duck in Indian domestic cricket. The right-arm medium pacer was playing just his 11th first-class game, then. His career graph took a snake-head climb from there on, turning into a consistent wicket-taker in ODIs.

At just 13 years old, Vaibhav Suryavanshi etched his name in history as the youngest player ever to be bought at the IPL auctions. The youngster grabbed attention by becoming the youngest player to notch an international century. Representing India Under-19 in a Youth Test against Australia U-19 in Chennai, Vaibhav delivered an explosive performance, smashing 104 runs off just 62 balls. His blistering century, reached in only 58 deliveries, not only set a new record for the fastest Youth Test hundred by an Indian but also ranks as the second-fastest globally.

In the mega auction for Indian Premier League 2022, Tushar Deshpande's talent didn't go unnoticed as he was acquired by the Chennai team at his base price of INR 20 Lakhs. Since then, he has been part of the team in yellow and even went on to win the title with them in the 2023 season.

Trained at the Kiran More Academy, Krunal the elder brother of Hardik Pandya made it to the big stage after a stellar show for Baroda in the shortest format of the game. He was picked by Mumbai for the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League and he did not let them down, scoring 237 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 191.12 and picking six wickets as well.

A naturally gifted batter throughout his career, Kane Williamson is now considered one of the finest cricketers that the island nation has ever produced, as well as one of the finest batters of his generation as part of cricket’s ‘Fab Four’. A zen-like presence at the crease and a fan-favourite for many across the world, the soft-spoken Kiwi has led his country to international glory and provided the standard for New Zealand cricket, and is well on his way to staking a claim as his country’s finest export.

If you have to find an example of strong cricketing genes, you need not look further than Sam Curran who comes from a family of cricketers. His grandfather played domestic cricket before his father represented Zimbabwe at the international level and he along with both his brothers were destined to become cricketers.

Washington Sundar had begun his career as a classical left-handed batter, but it was by developing his right-arm off-spin that his value skyrocketed. In this process, he followed in the mould of Ravichandran Ashwin, who is recognised as one of the greatest Test spinners of all time, who too was a batter while growing up. It was a coincidence that when Ashwin had to drop out of the IPL in 2017, Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) drafted in his younger state-mate as replacement.

Rishabh Pant is now one of the most exciting talents in international cricket. His aggressive batting style and fearless approach have drawn comparisons to the legendary Adam Gilchrist. Pant's journey to the top is a story of resilience and determination

One of Mumbai cricket’s never-ending pipeline of stylish batters, Shreyas Iyer has developed into one of the most reliable cricketers in Indian colours. Now an IPL-winning captain with Kolkata Knight Riders, Iyer is an experienced cricketer whom India will be looking to as a core piece of their international efforts in the future.

Venkatesh Iyer is a left-handed batting all-rounder representing India. The Kolkata franchise showed faith in him and acquired his services for the 2021 Indian Premier League season. He had a brilliant debut season and played a key role in Kolkata's journey to the final. After the Indian Premier League season, Iyer received his maiden call-up to the national side for the T20I series against New Zealand. He made his T20 debut in that series and would later go on to make his ODI debut against South Africa in January 2022.

In a format where dot balls and wickets are a bowler’s primary currency, Arshdeep Singh has turned out to be a true banker for Team India’s T20 exploits. A hero of their 2024 T20 World Cup winning campaign, Arshdeep has gone from strength to strength, developing into a weapon that is as capable of playing supporting act to Jasprit Bumrah, who is the leader of the bowling attack.

Yuzvendra Chahal didn't get many opportunities at Mumbai Indians and was back in the auction pool for the 2014 IPL season. This turned out to be a good move for him, as he was picked up by RCB, where he became a key part of their bowling lineup. In the 2022 mega auction, Chahal was acquired by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 6.5 crore. He quickly made an impact, winning the Purple Cap for taking the most wickets (27) as the Royals reached their first IPL final since 2008.

Jos Buttler is an integral part of England's limited-overs cricket. His quick scoring and innovative hitting won him a contract with Mumbai for the 2016 edition of the IPL. From there, he went to Rajasthan Royals, where Buttler won the Orange Cap and set the tournament on fire on more than one occasion.

KL Rahul may have fallen out as a first-choice player in the T20Is, but in the ODIs and Tests he has earned his place as a wicket-keeper batsman. With Rahul in the squad, India have an extra keeping option along with Rishabh Pant.

With the ability to swing the ball both ways, left-armer Trent Boult possesses phenomenal ability when running in through the 30 yards. Seaming conditions obviously aided his style of bowling but the fact that he can make the ball talk on tracks which virtually had nothing in them, makes him a significant threat to batsmen all around the world.

A fiery pace bowler who can instill fear in the minds of the best batters around the world, Jofra Archer is an English player who was born in Barbados, West Indies. Already a World Cup winner with England in 2019, Archer's talent was spotted by fellow Barbados native Chris Jordan who recommended him to county side, Sussex. Archer impressed immediately and it was not long before he made his mark all around the globe.

Standing 6’4” tall, Josh Hazlewood is extremely unerring when it comes to his line and length and made a visible impact on his Test debut, against India in the second Test in December 2014. He led his team’s attack, picking up 7 wickets in the game (including a five-for in the first innings) and led his team to a 4-wicket win in the same.

In recent months, Mohammed Siraj has continued to build on his reputation as one of India's key pacers across all formats. His role in India's victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign was pivotal, though he played a limited number of matches during the tournament.

One of the most menacing pacers of the current generation, Mitchell Starc is a master exponent of fast bowling. New-ball, old ball. As a captain, you don’t have to worry much when Mitch has the ball in his hands.

Ishan Kishan holds the record for scoring the fastest double-century in ODIs. He may have fallen off the radar but there's nothing undermining the bucketloads of talent he possesses.

Phil Salt's aggressive batting style caught the attention of Lahore Qalandars, who invited him to participate in the Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy. He also earned a spot with Islamabad United for the Pakistan Super League's fourth season. Although he didn't feature in any games, Salt's performances for the Lions, including a stunning 58-ball ton against Ireland at the Ageas Bowl in July 2020, earned him recognition and a reserve spot for the England ODI series.

Jitesh Sharma is a wicket-keeper batter who grabbed the attention of both fans and selectors with some attacking strokeplay up the order for Vidarbha in the domestic T20 competition and the Punjab franchise in the Indian Premier League. Sharma made his mark early with a productive outing in the 2012-13 Cooch Behar Trophy in which he scored 537 runs in 12 innings including 2 centuries and 1 fifty. This paved his way into the Vidarbha senior side and he soon made his domestic debut.

Nicknamed the “Big Show” for his ability to hit big sixes without any fuss, Glenn Maxwell is one of the most attractive batsmen around the world, especially in the limited-overs format. His aggressive batting style at any position from an opener to the No.7 slot, handy off-spin bowling and delightful fielding put him into the mould of a perfect all-rounder.

Mitchell Marsh is recognized as one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball as well as being very handy as a medium pacer. Having chosen cricket over a career as an Australian Rules footballer, Mitchell Marsh wasted no time showing off the natural ability that he shares with his Test-playing father Geoff Marsh, and brother Shaun Marsh.

India's five-match home Test series against England in early 2024, turned out to be a landmark one for Ravichandran Ashwin. The offspinner registered double milestones in the series, by claiming 500 wickets in Tests and becoming the 14th Indian player to play 100 Tests for the country. The record to 500 wickets happened in 98 Tests, fastest by any Indian bowler, as Ashwin joined another Indian spin legend Anil Kumble to take 500 wickets in Test cricket.

Injuries have not allowed Harry Brook to make his IPL debut yet, but having shown great nick heading into the auction, the England big-hitting batter is set for a career revival.

England’s transition into a more attacking brand of cricket coincided with the arrival of some devastating batters and Liam Livingstone is one of the by-products of this change in mindset as he continues to enthrall the world with his hard-hitting abilities. Born on 4th August 1993 in Barrow-in-Furness, a port town situated in Cumbria in North West England, Liam grabbed headlines when he scored 350 runs in 138 balls for his club side Nantwich in a one-day match which got him promoted into the Lancashire senior side midway through 2015.

The prettiest sight for a fast bowler, watching the stumps cartwheel or getting knocked out of the ground, became more of a next-door neighbour for Mohammed Shami at the start of his international career for India.

Having begun his career under the tutelage of South Africa’s greatest fast-bowling generation, Kagiso Rabada now stands at the very top of his discipline as one of the finest fast-bowlers in world cricket. A fiery and combative character, his strong bowling action has made him one of the quickest and most consistent bowlers in world cricket, allowing him to take wickets and remain economical while doing so.

Avesh Khan made his IPL debut for RCB in the 2017 edition. Ahead of the 2018 edition, he was picked to play for Delhi. He had a brilliant 2021 season with Delhi, where he grabbed 24 wickets, finishing as the leading wicket-taker for his side, and second overall in that edition. For the 15th season of the Indian T20 League, Avesh was signed by Lucknow, making him the most expensive uncapped player in the history of the League.

Injuries have cut short T Natarajan's promising career, but the left-arm pacer has done well in whatever opportunities he's got. Natarajan's IPL 2021 success with SRH paved the way for his India debut as he played a Test match against Australia. Ever since, Natarajan has mostly been sidelined but his new franchise cannot wait to see him back in action.

Prasidh Krishna is a right-arm fast bowler who regularly clocks in excess of 140 kph and is known for his accurate bowling. Prasidh first made his mark when Bangladesh's A team toured India, and he picked up 5 for 49 in the first match, which was also his first-class debut for Karnataka. He made his List-A debut during the 2016-17 season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and his T20 debut for Karnataka during the 2017-18 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He went on to become Karnataka’s leading wicket-taker during the 2017-18 Vijay Hazare Trophy, scalping 17 wickets in just 8 matches.

Quinton de Kock may have retired from T20Is for South Africa but the South Africa wicketkeeper batter is still a favourite among franchises. Having represented multiple franchises in the past, de Kock’s new home is the Kolkata Knight Riders, whom he will be representing at IPL 2025.