Predicting the top 3 most expensive buys in Set 1 of capped spinners at IPL 2025 auction ft. Wanindu Hasaranga
The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction is just a few hours away and all 10 franchises have more or less finalized their plans ahead of what promises to be the biggest auction in the tournament's history. Several high-profile players will go under the hammer and quite a few are expected to garner big sums.
The auction will kick off in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 24 and will conclude a day later. A total of 574 players will go under the hammer which includes 48 capped Indian players, 193 capped overseas players, three associate players, 318 uncapped Indian players and 12 uncapped overseas players.
The spinners will be in high demand as has been the case in T20 leagues across the world. They can control the game in the middle overs and each of the ten franchises will look to have a top-class spin attack in their arsenal. Set 1 of the capped spinners has some big names in the world circuit.
The set includes Noor Ahmad, Rahul Chahar, Wanindu Hasaranga, Waqar Salamkheil, Maheesh Theekshana and Adam Zampa. Let us now predict which three will fetch the biggest price in the auction among these six spinners.
#3 Rahul Chahar
Indian spinners are always in high demand in the IPL auction. For someone who has the experience of playing for different franchises in the IPL and having donned the Indian blues as well, Rahul Chahar could end up fetching a significant sum in the first set of spinners.
A leg spinner is always in high demand and Chahar is someone who knows the conditions in India inside out. Franchises like the Punjab Kings or the Royal Challengers Bengaluru might go after him while the other franchises won't be too far away either.
He played for the Mumbai Indians from 2018-2021 for ₹1.90 crores before being snapped up by the Punjab Kings ahead of the 2022 auction for ₹5.25 crores.
He bagged 10 wickets in the previous season but wasn't at his best. Despite his poor returns in the last couple of years, Chahar is still expected to fetch a significant sum.
#2 Noor Ahmad
Left-arm wrist spinners are a rarity in cricket and Noor Ahmad is among those breed of cricketers who can be a match-winner for any team he plays for. The Afghan tweaker made a significant impact for the Gujarat Titans in the last couple of years but it wasn't enough to secure a retention.
He had a terrific time with the ball in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), bamboozling batters with his massive wrong uns and flatter trajectory deliveries. He tends to skid batters and has a quick arm action, which makes it difficult for the batters to pick which way the ball is turning.
He was bought for his base price of ₹30 lakhs by the Gujarat Titans ahead of the 2022 season. Noor bagged 16 wickets in 13 games during the 2023 season after warming the benches during GT’s maiden IPL season.
He wasn't at his wicket-taking best in 2024 but given his abilities to dismantle top-quality batting line-ups, he could be in high demand during the auction.
#1 Wanindu Hasaranga
Not many would argue with the fact that Wanindu Hasaranga is expected to garner the highest amount from this set of spinners. The mystery spinner was at his destructive best during the 2022 IPL, bagging 26 wickets for RCB at an incredible average of 16.54.
He is someone who has the ability to run through any batting line-up and make them look clueless in front of his mastery. Hasaranga’s white ball records is a testimony to his prowess both at the international level and franchise circuit.
The leggie has bagged a truckload of wickets for Sri Lanka and whichever franchises he has played for. He had to miss the 2024 season owing to an injury but come 2025, he is expected to garner a big sum in the auction. He was bought by RCB for a whopping sum of ₹10.75 crores in the 2022 auction.