Teams made strategic acquisitions during the auction, with some players being bought for less than expected, while others went for higher prices.
The IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, saw new records being set. Prior to this, the record for the highest bid was held by KKR, who bought Mitchell Starc for INR 24.75 crore in the IPL 2024 auction.
This record was broken twice in the IPL 2025 auction, with Shreyas Iyer being bought by PBKS for INR 26.75 crore and Rishabh Pant being picked up by LSG for INR 27 crore.
Also Read: Parth Jindal Takes Indirect Dig at LSG Owner Sanjiv Goenka After Buying KL Rahul at IPL 2025 Auction
Teams made strategic acquisitions during the auction, with some players being bought for less than expected, while others went for higher prices.
However, franchises also made some mistakes over the two days of the event. Let’s look at the 5 biggest blunders that teams made at the IPL 2025 Auction.
RCB’s Decision Not to Use RTM on Will Jacks
One of the most surprising moments of the IPL 2025 auction was RCB’s decision not to use their Right to Match (RTM) card on Will Jacks. Jacks had been an important player for RCB in the previous season, playing a key role in their playoff qualification. The bidding war for Jacks was between MI and PBKS, with MI ultimately winning the battle with a final bid of INR 5.25 crore.
Given Jacks’ important contributions to RCB last season, many expected them to exercise their RTM. While MI could have raised the bid further if RCB had used their RTM, it’s unlikely that the bid would have gone higher than what RCB could match. RCB’s decision of not using the RTM was a surprising one, especially considering Jacks’ impact in the previous season.
DC’s Line-Up Lacks an All-Rounder, Besides Axar Patel
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Delhi Capitals retained four players, including Axar Patel, their key all-rounder. During the two-day auction, DC made a total of 19 acquisitions, completing their squad with 23 players. However, despite filling several positions, they did not sign any other reliable all-rounder to complement Axar Patel.
While the impact player rule allows teams some flexibility, DC will still rely heavily on Axar as their sole all-rounder. This leaves them vulnerable, as they will need to depend entirely on the impact player rule to balance their side, which could pose challenges throughout the season.
KKR Acquiring Venkatesh Iyer for INR 23.75 Crore
Venkatesh Iyer, who was released by KKR ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, was brought back by the franchise for a significant INR 23.75 crore. The team showed clear intent in acquiring him, but the high price limited their ability to pursue other potential targets, including Phil Salt. While Iyer had a strong impact last season, especially in the playoffs, his hefty price tag raised questions.
Although KKR have formed a solid squad for IPL 2025, securing Iyer at a lower cost would have provided them with more flexibility to target other big names. This would have allowed the franchise to strengthen their squad further while maintaining a balanced budget.
RCB Didn’t Bid for Marquee Players Despite Second-Highest Budget
RCB, despite having the second-highest budget and retaining only three players before the IPL 2025 auction, surprised everyone by staying quiet during the marquee player sets. They only bought Liam Livingstone from the marquee players but didn’t get involved in bidding wars for big names, which was unexpected considering their budget.
Even though RCB filled their squad with good players, it was surprising that they didn’t go after big names like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, or Mitchell Starc. With their large budget, they could have added at least one of these star players to strengthen their team.
PBKS Acquiring Shreyas Iyer for INR 26.75 Crore
Shreyas Iyer’s acquisition by PBKS for INR 26.75 crore raised some eyebrows, given his T20 performance. While Iyer excels in the 50-over format, his T20 strike rate doesn’t match the explosive players typically valued in auctions.
PBKS may have overpaid for Iyer, especially if they were seeking a game-changing T20 performer. His price tag seems high for a player whose T20 contributions don’t justify such an investment.
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