5 surprise names in IPL 2025 Auction preliminary list ft. James Anderson
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has released the preliminary list of players that will be available for the franchises at the 2025 mega-auction. The pool comprises players who have not been retained by their respective teams, coupled with candidates from outside the scope of the competition.
All in all, a total of 1574 players have registered themselves for the auction. This comprehensive list is expected to be filtered out according to the demands of the franchises, and those sets of names will be included in the final list that will be put under the hammer on the auction floor.
"The IPL player registration officially closed on November 4, 2024, with an impressive total of 1,574 players (1,165 Indian and 409 overseas) signing up to be part of the mega TATA IPL 2025 Player Auction, which will be held over two days on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The list includes 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations," IPL's statement read.
While the spotlight is naturally on the players who have just been released by teams, there is also a small pool of surprising names that have put their name in for the auction. On that note, let us take a look at the five surprise names in the IPL 2025 Auction preliminary list.
#1 James Anderson
The 42-year-old veteran had hinted at making a white-ball comeback after his international retirement a few months ago. He had expressed his desire to feature in franchise cricket after watching the ball swing viciously in The Hundred, and was also linked to a few teams in the Major League Cricket (MLC) recently.
Fitness is not an issue for Anderson despite his age, as he was recently bowling long spells in red-ball cricket without breaking a sweat. Four overs in T20 cricket should not be a challenge to him from an endurance standpoint.
However, with his last T20 appearance coming a decade ago, it is safe to say that he will be out of touch with the concept and the format considerably, and might struggle to stay relevant against the modern mindset of batters.
On the flip side, franchises could view him solely as a new-ball specialist, with the impact sub rule catering to his need so that he can remain fresh over the course of the entire two months, if he finds a franchise in the auction.
#2 Steve Smith
The Australian batter has been an on-and-off presence in the auction ever since being released by RR in 2021. He has failed to find a suitor since then, and even turned up as a broadcaster during the previous season. Smith's T20 credentials are waning day-by-day with his omission from Australia's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup being a huge talking point.
However, Smith has had flashes of brilliance in the shortest format, particularly while opening the innings. He had a stellar Major League Cricket (MLC) campaign for the Washington Freedom in July. Not only did he end up as the second-leading run-scorer, he also led the side to the title.
With several IPL sides looking for new captains, Smith may be in the hunt as a bargain option.
#3 Thomas Draca
The IPL retention lists knows no limit, permitting players from associate nations to have a shot as well. With the extensive scouting network that the franchises have in place these days, the not-so-well-known players can also afford to enroll and see what transpires.
It's not common for a player from Italy to be associated with the IPL, but the 24-year-old Thomas Draca comes in with a bit of reputation and connection. The right-arm pacer had an eventful Global T20 Canada campaign for the Brampton Wolves, where he finished as the fifth-leading wicket-taker in the tournament.
The Mumbai Indians (MI) group have already had an eye on Draca after roping him into the MI Emirates squad for the 2025 edition of the Interantional League T20.
#4 Nathan Lyon
The red-ball veteran is not someone you expect to see on the auction list for the IPL. Lyon's last T20 appearance was during the 2022-23 Big Bash League (BBL) season for the Sydney Sixers.
Later that year, he bowled for the New South Wales in the Marsh Cup, and that remains his final involvement in white-ball cricket so far.
The off-spinner has decent numbers in T20 cricket, 57 wickets in 51 matches at an average of 21.87 and an economy of 7.34.
#5 Kane Williamson
The New Zealand international is at a serious crossroads when it comes to his T20 career. Many expected him to shy away from the format and focus on the longer formats, which are his strong suits, after the Blackcaps' humbling exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup group stage. However, after quitting his captaincy, he has taken a completely opposite route.
Opting out of New Zealand's central contract, Williamson is prioritising franchise cricket in a bid to be an asset for New Zealand in the 2026 T20 World Cup. He has already struck a deal to represent the Durban's Super Giants in the 2025 SA20.
Williamson found a new franchise in Gujarat Titans (GT) after being released by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). However, he has only played two matches across the last two seasons, and with the ulta-aggressive approach catching on, it might be difficult for the classy batter to keep up.