The IPL 2025 mega auction was a spectacle of high stakes and intense bidding wars, with a staggering ₹639.15 crore spent on 182 players. While Rishabh Pant stole the show as the most expensive player, sold to Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore, Shreyas Iyer closely followed, moving to Punjab Kings. The auction reflected a strong demand for Indian talent, especially bowlers, as franchises fortified their squads ahead of the upcoming season.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the team-wise acquisitions and strategies:
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Squad Composition: 23/25 players (8 overseas)
Retained Players: Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma
Mumbai Indians, a franchise known for its core of reliable Indian players, continued to bolster its roster. However, their overseas picks were unconventional. While retaining stalwarts like Bumrah and Rohit, MI opted for a mix of untested international players such as Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar and South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton, who have yet to prove their mettle in the IPL. England’s Will Jacks and Reece Topley were also roped in, adding a blend of pace and spin to the side.
In Auction:
Batters: Bevan-John Jacobs
Wicketkeepers: Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton, Krishnan Shrijith
Allrounders: Naman Dhir (spin; RTM), Will Jacks (spin), Raj Angad Bawa (pace), Vignesh Puthur (spin)
Spinners: Allah Ghazanfar, Karn Sharma, Mitchell Santner
Fast bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, Satyanarayana Raju, Arjun Tendulkar, Lizaad Williams
While their Indian core remains their strength, the overseas contingent’s lack of experience might be a concern.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Squad Composition: 25/25 players (7 overseas)
Retained Players: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana
CSK’s strategy revolved around nostalgia and experience, as they brought back R Ashwin a decade after his last stint with the team. The spin-heavy squad features Noor Ahmad and Shreyas Gopal, complementing the formidable duo of Jadeja and Ashwin. Adding utility players like Sam Curran and Vijay Shankar provides versatility.
In Auction:
Batters: Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Deepak Hooda, Andre Siddarth
Wicketkeepers: Devon Conway, Vansh Bedi
Allrounders: R Ashwin (spin), Sam Curran (pace), Rachin Ravindra (spin; RTM), Vijay Shankar (pace), Anshul Kamboj (pace), Jamie Overton (pace), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (pace), Ramakrishna Ghosh (pace)
Spinners: Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal
Fast bowlers: Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis
With a balance of youth and experience, CSK looks well-rounded, though their dependency on spin could be a double-edged sword.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Squad Composition: 22/25 players (8 overseas)
Retained Players: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal
RCB’s acquisitions showcased a focus on solving their bowling woes. By adding Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, they’ve fortified their attack, while the explosive Phil Salt is set to partner Kohli at the top of the order. The squad, for once, doesn’t feel overly reliant on a few marquee players, with strong reinforcements across departments.
In Auction:
Batters: Tim David, Manoj Bhandage, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chikara
Wicketkeepers: Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma
Allrounders: Liam Livingstone (spin), Krunal Pandya (spin), Swapnil Singh (spin), Romario Shepherd (pace), Jacob Bethell (spin), Mohit Rathee (spin)
Spinners: Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh
Fast bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal (retained), Rasikh Salam, Nuwan Thushara, Lungi Ngidi
RCB’s depth in batting and pace makes them one of the more balanced sides.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Squad Composition: 20/25 players (7 overseas)
Retained Players: Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen
SRH boasts a formidable top five, anchored by the likes of Travis Head and Pat Cummins. However, the middle order and backup options lack experience. The franchise has banked on potential, signing players like Kamindu Mendis and Brydon Carse, who are yet to make a significant impact in the IPL.
In Auction:
Batters: Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Sachin Baby
Wicketkeepers: Ishan Kishan, Atharva Taide
Allrounders: Kamindu Mendis (spin)
Spinners: Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Zeeshan Ansari
Fast bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Simarjeet Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Brydon Carse, Eshan Malinga
While their starting XI appears strong, depth might be an issue in a long tournament.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Squad Composition: 21/25 players (8 overseas)
Retained Players: Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Andre Russell
KKR’s headline move was splurging ₹23.75 crore on Venkatesh Iyer, likely their new captain. They also secured seasoned campaigners like Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje. However, surprise bids for Manish Pandey and Ajinkya Rahane raised eyebrows, given their contrasting batting styles compared to KKR’s usual aggressive approach.
In Auction:
Batters: Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane
Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Allrounders: Venkatesh Iyer (pace), Anukul Roy (spin), Moeen Ali (spin)
Spinners: Mayank Markande
Fast bowlers: Vaibhav Arora, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Umran Malik
KKR’s mix of youth and experience could yield dividends if their strategies align.
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Squad Composition: 25/25 players (8 overseas)
Retained Players: Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh
Punjab Kings made waves by securing Shreyas Iyer for ₹26.75 crore, who is set to lead the side. With Ricky Ponting’s influence as coach, they leaned heavily on Australian talent, including Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis. This approach has resulted in a significantly revamped lineup.
In Auction:
Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh Pannu, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash
Wicketkeepers: Josh Inglis, Vishnu Vinod,
Allrounders: Glenn Maxwell (spin), Marcus Stoinis (pace), Marco Jansen (pace), Harpreet Brar (spin), Azmatullah Omarzai (pace), Aaron Hardie (pace), Musheer Khan (spin), Suryansh Shedge (pace)
Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Pravin Dubey
Fast bowlers: Arshdeep Singh (RTM), Lockie Ferguson, Yash Thakur, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett
PBKS’s fresh approach might inject consistency, a trait they’ve often lacked.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Squad Composition: 24/25 players (6 overseas)
Retained Players: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan
Lucknow made headlines by acquiring Rishabh Pant as the most expensive IPL player ever. Their squad is bolstered by seasoned campaigners like Mitchell Marsh and David Miller. However, the absence of an established Indian opener might force experimentation.
In Auction:
Batters: Aiden Markram, David Miller, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke
Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, Aryan Juyal
Allrounders: Adbul Samad (spin), Mitchell Marsh (pace), Shahbaz Ahmed (spin), Yuvraj Chaudhary (spin), Rajvardhan Hangargekar (pace), Arshin Kulkarni (Pace)
Spinners: M Siddharth, Digvesh Singh
Fast bowlers: Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav
With depth in bowling and a powerful top six, LSG remains a title contender.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Squad Composition: 23/25 players (7 overseas)
Retained Players: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs
Delhi Capitals made significant strides by signing KL Rahul, likely to lead them. The acquisition of Mitchell Starc addresses their bowling concerns, and Harry Brook adds firepower to their batting. Their line-up now boasts balance across departments.
In Auction:
Batters: Jake Fraser-McGurk (RTM), Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair
Wicketkeepers: KL Rahul, Donovan Ferreria
Allrounders: Ashutosh Sharma (spin), Sameer Rizvi (spin), Darshan Nalkande (pace), Vipraj Nigam (spin), Ajay Mandal (spin), ManvanthKumar (pace), Tripurana Vijay (spin), Madhav Tiwari (pace)
Fast bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, Dushmantha Chameera
With a mix of proven performers and emerging talent, DC looks set for a strong campaign.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Squad Composition: 20/25 players (6 overseas)
Retained Players: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer
Rajasthan Royals reinforced their bowling unit with Jofra Archer and Wanindu Hasaranga, though injury concerns loom. Their reliance on young Indian talent will be tested in pressure situations.
In Auction:
Batters: Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Wicketkeepers: Kunal Singh Rathore
Allrounders: Nitish Rana (spin), Yudhvir Singh (pace)
Spinners: Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Kumar Kartikeya
Fast bowlers: Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma
RR’s success hinges on their ability to manage fitness and extract consistent performances.
Gujarat Titans (GT)
Squad Composition: 25/25 players (7 overseas)
Retained Players: Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tewatia
Gujarat Titans went big, securing marquee players like Jos Buttler and Mohammed Siraj. Their middle order lacks star power but hopes rest on Washington Sundar to deliver all-around performances.
In Auction:
Batters: Sherfane Rutherford
Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat
Allrounders: Washington Sundar (spin), Mahipal Lomror (spin), Nishant Sindhu (spin), Arshad Khan (pace), Jayant Yadav (spin), Glenn Phillips (spin), Karim Janat (pace)
Spinners: Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore
Fast bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gerald Coetzee, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, Kulwant Khejroliya
GT’s high-quality acquisitions make them a team to watch out for, provided their core remains injury-free.
The IPL 2025 auction demonstrated the franchises’ strategic planning, with some opting for established names while others banked on untested talent. As the season approaches, the true test will lie in how these squads perform under pressure and adapt to evolving challenges on the field.
