Top Buys and Surprising Picks

Here is the detailed report on the expensive buys and surprise picks at the IPL Auction 2025. The IPL 2025 auction had enough fanfare, commercialism, and surprises associated with it. Even as the teams prepare themselves for the coming season, the big debates are sparked from the auction regarding which teams bought what players well on their list and which players had made heads spin at the auction with unexpected bids. Here’s an in-depth account of the expensive buys and surprise picks that grabbed eyeballs in the IPL 2025 auction.

Two-day Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction at Jeddah Saudi Arabia-the culmination of expectations broke all records as Rs 639.15 crore was spent during these sessions. Rishabh Pant (Rs 27 crore) and Shreyas Iyer (Rs 26.75 crore) were crowned as the league’s priciest players, while the number of successful Rs 10 crore-plus bids leaped 2x since the previous auction. In all, 21 players were bought for Rs 10 crore or above, whereas the last mega auction in 2022 saw a total of just 11 sold.

Venkatesh Iyer was acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders at a staggering amount of ₹23.75 crore. The year 2024 saw Iyer regain his form after he had helped KKR turn around the fortunes of the franchise in IPL 2021. He finished with a high average of 46.25 to lead the franchise to yet another title win. KKR is betting on Iyer’s versatility at numbers 3 and 4 to make the justification for this massive investment.

Top Buys of IPL 2025 Auction

1. Shubman Gill (₹18.5 Crore – Gujarat Titans)

The rise of Shubman Gill in international cricket has been extraordinary. He makes innings play aggressively without sacrificing the anchor which makes him one of the players with the highest value in the whole of the IPL. This season, Gujarat Titans took a risk by acquiring him for ₹18.5 Crore, putting him among the auction’s leading earners. Gill’s consistency at the top of the order, as well as his immaculate technique, guarantees that he will be one of the frontrunners for Gujarat in IPL 2025. Given that he has played extremely well lately for India in all formats, he is expected to be a match-winner for the franchise.

2. Ruturaj Gaikwad (₹16 Crore – Chennai Super Kings)

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been among the new emerging players in the IPL for the last few years. Gaikwad’s calm and composed nature combined with his footage was enough to make him a favorite among fans. Chennai Super Kings are believed to put trust in young talents and thereby retained the services of this rising batsman for ₹16 Crore. Gaikwad’s coming to fame via CSK was visible last season as he showed up in many matches for his team. With the great MS Dhoni being his mentor, it seems Gaikwad is all set for another brilliant year in 2025.

3. Harry Brook (₹14 Crore – Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Harry Brook was undoubtedly one of the most immense attractions at this year’s auction as far as IPL 2025 is concerned, and his price tag sure shows what huge potential he possesses. Sunrisers Hyderabad has acquired Brook for ₹14 Crores. And here, he is celebrated for his explosive batting and scoring runs at a rapid rate in T20 cricket. By the way, his international performances, particularly in the 2023 World Cup, made him a global sensation. He’s got an SRH middle order attacking option with Brook, and how they utilise his aggressive style will be interesting to see.

4. Cameron Green (₹12.5 Crore-Mumbai Indians) 

Cameron Green is an all-rounder from Australia who is currently making loads of noise with his multi-faceted talent in T20 cricket. Adding to these assets would be his contributions with the bat as well as the ball, which is what convinced Mumbai Indians to buy him at ₹12.5 Crore. With Green’s all-round performance, Mumbai’s depth in batting and bowling will be further enhanced. He is all set to take some important wickets or finish the game with his bat, and watching him this season will be quite a thrill.

5. Jofra Archer (₹10 Crore – Mumbai Indians) 

Faster than any other bowler in the game, Jofra Archer has proved that he can be the biggest difference with the ball in any team he represents. It was his speed, bounce, and death bowling that put him right at the top of the list when it comes to eminent T20 players. Injury prone as he is, Mumbai Indians were still very keen to rope in the pace sensation of the moment for a whopping ₹10 Crore. No one would argue against his worth, and he stands a potential cannon in MI’s bowling arsenal if fit to play. His presence will add a dynamic edge to Mumbai’s attack, and he will undoubtedly prove an intimidating threat for opposition teams in IPL 2025. 

Surprise Picks of IPL Auction 2025 

Certainly, although a few big names just let people’s mouths drop by sheer amounts of their price tags, there were quite a bunch of surprise picks that caught most off-guard. These wouldn’t have been expected to be bought for such princely amounts but proved to be amazing investments for their relevant franchises.

1. Mustafizur Rahman (₹7.5 Crore – Rajasthan Royals) 

Mustafizur Rahman’s form in IPL has always been good, but many were surprised at his relatively low auction price. A Bangladesh pacer was brought in for ₹7.5 crore by the Rajasthan Royals; this is a steal for a death bowler with a wealth of experience in T20 cricket. Mustafizur is known for his slow cutters and yorkers. He is going to add depth to the Rajasthan bowling lineup since he can keep things tight at the end of the innings. So, his inclusion can prove to be a masterstroke for Royals. 

2. Nicholas Pooran (₹9.2 Crore – Lucknow Super Giants) 

The surprise came because Nicholas Pooran got to Lucknow for ₹9.2 Crore, especially with the way that the hard-hitting West Indian’s form has swung from one extreme to the other. Pooran has got the goods to turn matches around single-handedly with bat power but will be a major factor for LSG in the middle order. Their faith in him indicates the mind of the franchise, which believes in the explosive potential of Pooran. If he gains consistency, Pooran could be the best finisher for Lucknow in IPL 2025.

3. Tushar Deshpande (₹6.5 Crore – Chennai Super Kings)

For most, Tushar Deshpande’s auction price of ₹6.5 Crore came as a surprise because, lately, he had not been in very good form. However, CSK considered this young pace sensation as a valuable asset and decided to back him. Deshpande’s ability to bowl in the powerplay and has some variations up his sleeve will make him such an asset for CSK. Under-whistle MS Dhoni, Deshpande could evolve into a more reliable bowler, which definitely would be a boon to Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025.

4. Avinash Yadav (₹5 crore-Rajasthan Royals)

Curiously, domestic cricket fans downloaded another unknown tag from their wallets at the auction and kicked off an IPL 2025 auction. Rajasthan Royals have snapped up the young all-rounder for ₹ 5 crore, and while many were in doubt, his thunderous strikes on the domestic circuit gained him an entry into the IPL. Yadav has brilliant versatility, capable of bowling tight overs and batting; thus, he becomes a key addition to the squad. In fact, his performance in IPL 2025 could be the chief factor leading to Rajasthan’s success.

5. Rajvardhan Hangargekar (₹3.5 Crore, Chennai Super Kings)

Chennai Super Kings took another shocker in Rajvardhan Hangargekar, the young Indian pacer, which the franchise bought for ₹3.5 Crore. Hangargekar has proven his mettle in Indian domestic cricket and has been noted for his speed and accuracy in bowling. The selection characterizes that CSK is focusing on budding talent to nurture them for future purposes. If at all, Hangargekar gets to be seen in IPL 2025, many would be stunned by his brilliant bowling.

Conclusion 

Thus it had to happen- the IPL 2025 auction proved to be one of the most exciting and heavy in the history of the tournament, with franchises spending quite a bit to acquire some of the sought after players for the next season. While there have been a few top-reported purchases at the auction, there have been surprising names that might well end up being game-changers. Be it stars like Shubman Gill and Harry Brook to oddball gems like Avinash Yadav and Rajvardhan Hangargekar, IPL 2025 really promises to be action-filled as well as full of surprises. 

Now that the excitement for the launch is building up, let’s wait and see, with the new names and old stars going into the fray, how these picks are going to shape up on the big stage. IPL 2025 is really looking like – one to remember! Stay updated with cricmatch

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