Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently brought his unique flair to a mock IPL auction held on his YouTube channel, building excitement ahead of the official IPL 2025 mega auction. Set to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the auction has fans eagerly awaiting franchise strategies and big-name bids.
In a playful twist, Ravichandran Ashwin humorously “auctioned himself,” marking what he called “the first time in Indian television history” that a player has mock-auctioned himself. The event included analysts and fans who bid on players for all ten teams, bringing a dose of light-hearted competitiveness to the pre-auction buzz.
The mock auction featured top IPL players, including KL Rahul, Jos Buttler, David Warner, Trent Boult, David Miller, Quinton de Kock, and Ashwin himself. A particularly heated moment saw KL Rahul ignite a bidding war between Delhi and Kolkata franchises, with bids reaching over INR 15 crore.
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In the event’s trailer, Ravichandran Ashwin humorously introduced himself as the first to conduct such an auction, praising participants for their thoughtful team selections and noting the high entertainment value of the session. A total of 1,574 players have registered for the 2025 IPL auction, with 1,165 Indian and 409 overseas players vying for slots.
‘Auctioneer’ R Ashwin sells himself among other stars ahead of IPL 2025 auction#RAshwin #IPL2025Auction #IPLAuctionOnStar #csk #rcb #mi | @ITGDSports https://t.co/Lxm8FoUNpU
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) November 12, 2024
Each of the ten franchises can create a squad of up to 25 players, and 204 slots remain to be filled. Among the teams, Punjab Kings enter with the largest purse, holding INR 110.5 crore, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore at INR 83 crore. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals have the smallest purse with INR 41 crore, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, each with INR 45 crore.
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Several top international and domestic stars, such as Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, James Anderson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jofra Archer, and Kagiso Rabada, are expected to command significant bids as franchises look to build formidable line-ups. This year’s auction promises high stakes and fierce bidding, as teams strategize to secure talent for the upcoming season.
