5 players who were bought in IPL 2025 auction by teams they once played for ft. Ravichandran Ashwin
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction concluded on November 25 in Jeddah. Ten franchises spent a total of ₹639.15 crore to secure the services of 182 players, including 62 overseas players.
The standout performances in the last season and international cricket helped some players to be retained by the franchises. However, there were numerous players who weren't retained and will ply their trade for different sides.
Meanwhile, many individuals mark their reunion with their former franchise after many years due to auction dynamics. On that note, let's take a look at the five players who were purchased by the teams they once played for in the cash league.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
The veteran spinner was bought by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for an amount of ₹9.75 crore. Ravichandran Ashwin made his IPL debut in 2009 for CSK and eventually helped them to win titles in 2010 and 2011 by spinning the web around the batters.
He scalped a total of 90 wickets for the franchise until 2015, before departing to play for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, and Delhi Capitals. The 38-year-old was a part of the Rajasthan Royals in the last three seasons, where he picked 35 wickets and helped his side reach the playoffs on two occasions.
#2 Ajinkya Rahane
In the first round, Ajinkya Rahane went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. However, the Kolkata Knight Riders picked him up in the accelerated round at his base price of ₹1.5 crore.
After playing for multiple teams since making his debut in 2008, Rahane was bought at his base price of ₹1 crore by KKR for the 2022 season. However, the right-hander produced disappointing performances, scoring just 133 runs in seven innings at an average of under 20. As a result, he was released from the squad.
Then, Rahane represented CSK and scored 568 runs in 27 games at a strike rate of 147.53.
#3 Glenn Maxwell
The swashbuckling batter is back in the Punjab clan, a place where he truly belongs. The Punjab Kings shelled out ₹4.2 crore to secure the services of Glenn Maxwell.
After making his IPL debut in 2012, Maxwell was bought by Punjab in 2014. He stunned the cricket fraternity by slamming 552 runs at a strike rate of 187.75, as the side emerged as the runner-up. In 65 games for Punjab, he garnered 1,294 runs, including six fifties.
Maxwell was released from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad ahead of the auction, after he could only score 52 runs in nine innings in IPL 2024.
#4 Trent Boult
The skillful Kiwi pacer, Trent Boult has been one of the consistent wicket-takers in IPL, with 121 wickets in 104 games. In the last three seasons, he played for the Rajasthan Royals and scalped 45 wickets to take them to the playoffs twice.
However, Boult gained prominence during his two-year stint with the Mumbai Indians. In his only first season in 2020, the left-arm pacer finished with 25 scalps to help the side secure a title victory. He took 13 wickets in the 2021 season before getting signed by the Royals.
As a result of his impressive track record for the franchise, they splurged ₹12.5 crore to get him back into the setup.
#5 Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer returned to the side, which helped him show his talent to the world and grow his international career. The Rajasthan Royals purchased Archer for ₹12.5 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.
Even before his international debut, the Royals bought Archer in 2018. The right-arm pacer impressed by taking a total of 46 wickets in his three seasons with the franchise.
After missing the next two seasons due to injury, Archer played for Mumbai Indians in 2023 and picked up two wickets in five games. He opted to skip the IPL 2024 to expedite his recovery from an injury.