5 Indian players who might go unsold at IPL 2025 auction ft. Ajinkya Rahane
The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction is soon approaching and the excitement is building with the player list released. Five hundred and seventy-four players are set to go under the hammer as teams look to rebuild their squads.
Among these, 366 Indian players were split into 48 capped and 318 uncapped Indians. Several Indian superstars such as KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Arshdeep Singh are in the auction pool, only adding to the excitement levels.
There are also some seasoned Indian campaigners in the auction list, who will be hoping to secure bids from the franchises. However, given the stage of their careers that they are in and their performances, it is highly unlikely that some of these players will find any buyers.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, here are five such Indian players who might go unsold.
#5 Ajinkya Rahane
Veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane surprised one and all with his performance in the 2023 IPL season after being picked by the Chennai Super Kings. He scored 326 runs with a strike rate of 172.49. However, he failed to display a similar form in the 2024 season, managing only 242 runs at a strike rate of 123.47.
Rahane has set his base price at ₹1.5 crore. Given his price and performance last season, it might be difficult for the batter to find bidders as teams would want to look for younger and fresh talent going forward.
#4 Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma, a veteran speedster, was retained by the Delhi Capitals for the 2024 season but was released ahead of the 2025 season. He has played only 17 matches in the last two seasons combined, picking up 20 wickets.
Moreover, Ishant has been prone to injuries that have prevented him from playing at full potential in the last few years. Given the number of young and talented fast bowlers now coming up, Ishant is also among those who are highly likely to go unsold at the auction this time around.
#3 Umesh Yadav
Another fast bowler on this list, Umesh Yadav played for the Gujarat Titans last season. However, he did play the full season, featuring in just seven matches, where he took eight wickets at an average of 26.25 and an economy rate of 10.
Known for his raw pace and ability to move the ball, Umesh has been a key figure in the IPL for several teams. However, aged 37 and with a base price of ₹2 crore, franchises might overlook the pacer following his performances in the last two seasons.
#2 Piyush Chawla
Veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has had a storied IPL career. He is among the top wicket-takers in the league with 192 wickets to his name. With the Mumbai Indians last season, he took 13 wickets from 11 matches.
He performed well in the 2023 season too, picking up 22 wickets from 16 matches. However, Chawla was released by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Considering his age, it is possible that teams might not want to invest in Piyush Chawla for a three-year cycle.
#1 Prithvi Shaw
As surprising as it may get, there is also a possibility that Prithvi Shaw might not find any bidders at the upcoming mega auction. Shaw is among India's most talented batters undoubtedly. However, he has failed to utilize the opportunities and perform notably in recent IPL seasons.
His returns with the bat in the last three seasons have been underwhelming, scoring only 198 runs from eight games in 2024, 106 runs from eight games in 2023, and 283 runs from 10 games in 2022.
Given his struggle with form and disciplinary issues off the field, it will not be surprising if Shaw remains unsold.