Predicting the top 5 buys from the two marquee sets of IPL 2025 auction ft. Rishabh Pant
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction is expected to be an exciting showdown marked by the presence of top T20 players across the world. A total of 574 players are set to go under the hammer on November 24-25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
This will be the first occasion of the auction containing two sets of marquee players since 2018. Twelve players are split into two sets, with each containing six players.
The first set consists of Jos Buttler, Shreyas Iyer, Kagiso Rabada, Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh and Mitchell Starc. Meanwhile, KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Liam Livingstone and David Miller form the other set.
Franchises are expected to break the bank to secure the services of these players, with a few of them also having leadership experience in IPL. On that note, let's take a look at who can be the top five buys in the mega auction.
#5 KL Rahul
KL Rahul had been leading the Lucknow Super Giants since the franchise's induction into the league in 2022. Although the team reached the playoffs in the first two seasons, they failed to achieve the feat in the last edition.
Rahul came under fire due to his defensive captaincy and a mediocre strike rate of around 135 in the 2024 season. As a result, he was released from the franchise.
Nevertheless, Rahul has amassed 1,410 runs in 38 innings at an average of 41.47 for LSG in the last three editions. He could be one of the top picks in the auction due to his consistency and experience in the T20 format.
If reports are to be believed, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are interested in acquiring Rahul, who also belongs to the city and has played for them in the past.
#4 Mitchell Starc
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc was the most expensive player in IPL history with a bid amount of ₹24.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders. Although he was disappointing in his first few appearances, Starc proved his worth and finished with 17 wickets in the season.
But the Kolkata-based franchise let go of him primarily due to a high price tag and filling all the holes ahead of the auction.
With teams like Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals needing an experienced pacer, they could look to bet on Mitchell Starc, who has proved his merit in the shortest format.
#3 Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh has turned out to be a bonafide match-winner for India in the last few years. Making his T20I debut in 2022, Arshdeep has scalped 95 wickets in just 60 appearances. In his recent T20I appearance against South Africa, the left-arm pacer finished with figures of 3/20.
Despite Arshdeep producing his best-ever IPL season last year with 19 scalps, Punjab Kings decided to release him for unknown reasons. However, they have the highest purse amount (₹110.5 crore) and could use an RTM card for bringing back the pacer into the setup.
Meanwhile, other teams will also be interested in the talented pacer, who could demand significant attention in the auction.
#2 Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer was the most experienced leader in the last season. His captaincy skills were on full display with smart bowling rotations and giving freedom to his teammates to play their natural game. His efforts helped the KKR side to win their third title.
The right-hander managed to contribute 351 runs at an impressive strike rate of 146.86. However, he was released from the squad due to Iyer reportedly wanting to explore his market value.
With back-to-back hundreds in the Ranji Trophy, Iyer made a big statement ahead of the marquee event. He is expected to be one of the biggest draws on D-day.
#1 Rishabh Pant
Flamboyant keeper-batter Rishabh Pant made a miraculous comeback to competitive cricket in the last IPL season. He emerged as the leading batter for the Delhi Capitals side with 446 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 155.40. However, the Capitals decided to release the star keeper.
Pant returned as the top batter in the recent test series against New Zealand, with knocks of 60, 64 and 99. Looking at the recent form, the southpaw could attract bids from many franchises at the auction.
Along with good form, Pant also brings his adept leadership skills to the franchise. In 43 games, Pant helped the Capitals to emerge as victors on 24 occasions.