Top 5 Players who went unsold in IPL 2025
The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction ahead of the 2025 edition saw a total of 182 players being picked across 10 different teams in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While Rishabh Pant became the most expensive buy in the history of the league, being picked by the Lucknow Super Giants for a fee of INR 27 crore, the 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player ever to be chosen by the Rajasthan Royals.
However, as a matter of surprise, some familiar faces who have been associated with the IPL over the last few seasons went unsold during the two-day auction trial. Some players were affected by the base prices being high, as the management of all the franchises brainstormed to fill their squads towards the end of the auction.
Here is the list of the top five players who went unpicked and unsold during the latest Indian Premier League auction in Jeddah.
Amongst the batsmen who went unsold, the names of David Warner, Kane Williamson, Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal raised questions. These four were amongst the top players in the league at one point of time in their careers. But as of today, the franchises may seem to have moved on to different choices.
In the bowler’s category too, some startling names were left untouched. Piyush Chawla, one of the highest wicket-takers, Musftafizur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb ur Rahman were some of the names who found no bidders.
For the wicket-keepers slab, Jonny Bairstow’s empty return from the auction was quite a revelation. The England wicketkeeper has done wonders in the league over the years but found no suitors this time.
1. Mayank Agarwal – A big name who may not have fit the typical mould of a modern T20 opener; the Karnataka state team captain has had several commendable seasons over the years. With his kind of experience and match-winning qualities, many expected Mayank to be picked up as at least as a second-choice opener. The star who went unsold in the mega auction, silenced his critics and slammed his third consecutive century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25.
2. Shardul Thakur – From being a reliable all-format player for the nation to finding himself without an IPL contract, Shardul Thakur has had a roller-coaster ride in the last couple of years. The Mumbai fast-bowler was away from the field for a major part of the CSK games last season. Despite his dual ability with the bat and bowl, all the teams chose to overlook his talent in the auction pool. With a base price of INR 2 Cr, many teams may have lacked the budget to bid for him.
3. David Warner – The Delhi Capitals released T20 wizard and Australian opener David Warner ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega-auction. Warner has been associated with the ultra-glamorous league since its second edition. With a base price of INR 2 Cr, he went unsold. So far, he has played for two IPL teams- Delhi Capitals (formerly Daredevils) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Warner has won the Orange Cap thrice and even captained SRH to their maiden title in 2016. Once an IPL legend, has struggled to get picked this time.
4. Jonny Bairstow – He saw no takers too and went unsold. The English batter has been a prolific player of the T20 format. He has been a part of the World Cup winning team in 2019 and the T20 World Cup squad in 2022. Bairstow has scored more than 1,500 runs in almost 50 IPL matches played so far, for different franchises over the years. He did not find a suitable buyer for his registered price of INR 2 crores.
5. Devdutt Padikkal – The left-handed top order batsman had a decent domestic season for his home state Karnataka. The young man has scored approx. over 1,500 runs in the IPL so far. He played for LSG last season and the Rajasthan Royals in 2023. Padikkal was the first player to remain unsold in the auction that saw Indian stars go for record amounts.
Another batter who has been labelled over conventional for this format of the T20 game, Kane Williamson found himself without a squad for the 2025 IPL edition. The former Sunrisers Hyderabad captain, who last represented Gujarat Titans, has had a rocky couple of years due to recurring injuries and missing crucial games.
Lastly, once hailed as the bright ‘Future of Indian Cricket’, Prithvi Shaw’s decline has been an eye-opener, with the Mumbai batter going unsold at the IPL auction despite a base price of mere INR ₹75 Lakhs.
By: Tulika Agarwal
