🏏TATA IPL 2025, Data, Drama, and Big Bucks: The IPL Mega Auction🏏📢

Algorithms, analytics, and data have become the buzzwords for franchises gearing up for the mega Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, set to take place over the next couple of days in Jeddah. Most franchises have enlisted, consulted or brought to the Saudi city a team of analytics experts, or data crunchers, to establish a competitive edge over others.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by an Englishman as their Director of Cricket, have partnered with an analytics company that also works with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB); Kolkata Knight Riders are reported to have engaged another English expert for their data-driven strategies and another franchise has hired the expertise of IBM. Yet another has built its own in-house expert analytics team, holding strategic meetings in Bengaluru and Doha before arriving in Jeddah.

In one season, Chennai Super Kings, who have a reputation of being very professionally run, declined a trade offer from Kolkata Knight Riders for Piyush Chawla at INR. 4.2 crore, only to later purchase the veteran leg-spinner for INR. 6.75 crore in the auction. CSK officials revealed that MS Dhoni was insistent on Chawla, leaving them with no choice but to comply. With Dhoni's unpredictable yet influential decisions, one can only wonder what his directives will have been this time around.

The 2009 bidding war between Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders and Preity Zinta's Kings XI Punjab for Mashrafe Mortaza is a well-documented one. Starting with a base price of $50,000, the bidding went on and on, and Mortaza was eventually bought by Knight Riders for a whopping $ 600,000!!

Many interesting stories are going to unfold once again tonight!!!

The buzz ahead of the auction revolves around how much the wealthiest teams, like Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will spend on the top three purchases. Will it exceed INR. 43 crore? One might wonder why INR. 43 crore has become the benchmark here. This figure corresponds to the retention slabs set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) - INR. 18 crore for the first player, INR. 14 crore for the second, and INR. 11 crore for the third, 43 altogether. That would establish whether it is wiser to retain or bid.

Another focal point, of course, has been the growing influence of player agents and managers in shaping pre-auction proceedings and negotiations. The central issue here is the role that player agents and managers have played in shaping retentions, or otherwise. Until now, agents of overseas players have been the most active, with a notable example being the difficulty SunRisers Hyderabad faced in retaining Rashid Khan three years ago due to the tough conditions of his agents, who were in the UK. This year, however, even the agents of Indian players have become more involved. If some players have turned down retentions, it is likely that their agents have been negotiating with other franchises to secure more favourable deals.

The BCCI may have made things easier for the agents, even if inadvertently, through the introduction of the new Right to Match (RTM) clause. This rule allows a competing franchise to increase their bid even after the bidding has stopped, if the RTM is to be exercised. Quintessentially, it gives franchises the option to match a pre-arranged bid amount, something that was not possible under the previous system. As a result, agents have been able to work towards striking pre-auction deals, knowing that this new rule legitimately allows one to reach at the desired or arranged price.

Here is how that rule pans out. A BCCI note says, "The Rights to Match is to be exercised as follows: once the bidding for a relevant player is complete and the auctioneer is satisfied that no more bids will be forthcoming, the auctioneer will ask the relevant Franchisee if it wishes to exercise one of its remaining Rights to Match. If the Franchisee chooses to exercise a Right to Match, the auctioneer will ask the highest bidding Franchisee for one final opportunity to raise their bid for a player before the team holding the RTM card can exercise their right. It will take the player for the amount of the final bid that had been made in the Player Auction. No further bidding by any other Franchisees will then be possible for that Player."

"The agents have created enough problems (for the teams). It will be interesting to see what impact the RTMs have. Let's see," said a senior official of a franchise who has had to face the brunt of the agent role. An official of another franchise said, "Why say only foreign players and their agents. The Indian agents have caused enough disruption."

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction will take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, and 577 players are up for signing. A total of 46 players were retained by the 10 teams, with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals being the only franchises to utilise their full quota of six retentions.

Teams can retain up to 6 players using RTM and direct retention. Only 5 capped players and 2 uncapped players can be retained. Teams like KKR and RR, which have already retained 6 players, cannot use RTM cards!

The auction last year was also held outside, specifically in Dubai. With 577 players vying for contracts, the auction promises intense bidding wars as franchises strategize to revamp their squads for the next three years.

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) player retention window closed on October 31, 2024. Here are some of the teams' retentions:

• Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals: Both teams retained six players, the maximum allowed.
• Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, and Sunrisers Hyderabad: Each team retained five players.
• Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings: Each team retained four, three, and two players, respectively.
• Some of the most expensive players retained include:

Heinrich Klaassen, Virat Kohli, Nicholas Pooran, Pat Cummins, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rashid Khan.

Here are some other details about the 2025 IPL player retention:

• Teams can use Right to Match (RTM) cards to reacquire players. The number of RTMs a team has is six minus the number of players they directly retain.
  
• The cost of retaining a player depends on the player's category. For example, the first capped player costs Rs 18 crore, the second costs Rs 14 crore, and the third costs Rs 11 crore. Uncapped players cost Rs 4 crore to retain.
  
• Each team has a salary cap of INR 120 crore to form a squad of 25 players for the mega auction.

Nov 24, 2024, 12:53 am IST

IPL 2025 Auction Live: SRH Auction over the years

IPL 2025 Auction Live: SRH Auction over the years Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) aim to build on their legacy with impactful signings. Over the years, SRH has splurged on marquee players to strengthen their squad.

Here’s a list of their most expensive purchases across IPL seasons:

2013: Dale Steyn (₹6.4 crore), Thisara Perera (₹3.6 crore)

2014-2017: Shikhar Dhawan (₹12.5 crore)

2018: Manish Pandey (₹11 crore)

2019-2021: David Warner (₹12.5 crore)

2022: Kane Williamson (₹14 crore)

2023: Harry Brook (₹13.25 crore)

2024: Pat Cummins (₹20.5 crore)

Whom they are going to buy this time??!!

Indian Premier League Auction Live: CSK's Auction History

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), one of the league's most successful franchises, is set to add new chapters to its illustrious legacy. Over the years, CSK has made some record-breaking signings that have shaped their dominance in the Indian Premier League.

CSK's strategy to invest heavily in players with specific skill sets has been integral to their success. Players like Ben Stokes and Deepak Chahar provided balance, combining batting and bowling prowess. Ravindra Jadeja has been a cornerstone of the team, delivering consistent performances since his acquisition in 2012.

While some signings like Andrew Flintoff and Krishnappa Gowtham failed to meet expectations, others, such as Moeen Ali and Kedar Jadhav, contributed crucially during key seasons. With the IPL 2025 auction set to take place in Jeddah, CSK will undoubtedly aim to strengthen their squad further, hoping to maintain their legacy as one of the league's most successful franchises.

Here's a look at their most expensive purchases:

Ben Stokes (2023): ₹16.25 crore

Deepak Chahar (2022): ₹14 crore

Daryl Mitchell (2024): ₹14 crore

Ravindra Jadeja (2012): ₹9.8 crore

Krishnappa Gowtham (2021): ₹9.25 crore

MS Dhoni (2008): ₹8 crore

Moeen Ali (2021): ₹8 crore

Kedar Jadhav (2018): ₹7.8 crore

Andrew Flintoff (2009): ₹7.5 crore

Ambati Rayudu (2022): ₹6.75 crore

Karn Sharma (2018): ₹5 crore

IPL Auction 2025 News Live: Mumbai Indians at IPL Auction over the years

As the IPL Auction 2025 approaches, Mumbai Indians (MI) are preparing for another thrilling bidding war. Over the years, MI has made headlines with some of the most expensive buys in IPL history.

The 2023 IPL auction saw some thrilling bids, with Cameron Green emerging as the most expensive buy, fetching a whopping ₹17.5 crore. His all-round abilities made him a highly sought-after player. Similarly, Ishan Kishan's value surged in both 2022 and 2018, with his prowess as a wicketkeeper-batter making him one of the hottest commodities in the auction rooms.

Here's a look at their top purchases:

Cameron Green (2023): ₹17.5 crore

Ishan Kishan (2022): ₹15.25 crore

Rohit Sharma (2011): ₹9.2 crore

Krunal Pandya (2018): ₹8.8 crore

Nathan Coulter-Nile (2020): ₹8 crore

Jofra Archer (2022): ₹8 crore

Ishan Kishan (2018): ₹6.2 crore

Glenn Maxwell (2013): ₹5.65 crore

Kieron Pollard (2018): ₹5.4 crore

Michael Hussey (2014): ₹5 crore

IPL Mock Auction Results:

Who turned out to be the most expensive buy? The mock auction conducted by Star Sports and JioCinema showcased some incredible buys, reflecting the high expectations for key players.

Here are the top purchases:

Rishabh Pant: Rs 33 Crore – Punjab Kings (PBKS)

KL Rahul: Rs 29.5 Crore – Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

Shreyas Iyer: Rs 21 Crore – Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Mitchell Starc: Rs 18 Crore – Mumbai Indians (MI)

Arshdeep Singh: Rs 16.5 Crore – Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Yuzvendra Chahal: Rs 15 Crore – Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Ishan Kishan: Rs 15.5 Crore – Delhi Capitals (DC)

Retentions and Gaps

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB):

Retained: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal

Released: Faf du Plessis, Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell

Need: A captain, frontline pacers, wicketkeeper and an overseas quality all-rounder to balance the squad.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR):

Retained: Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh and Andre Russell

Released: Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Need: A captain, dependable openers, and middle-order batsmen.

Punjab Kings (PBKS):

Retained: Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh

Released: Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Kag ..

Need: Captain, experienced all-rounders and overseas bowlers to strengthen the core.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG):

Retained: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Mayank Agarwal

Released: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis

Need: A captain, all-rounders, and middle-order batsmen.

Delhi Capitals (DC):

Retained: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel

Released: Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Marsh, David Warner

Need: A wicketkeeper-batsman, middle-order hitters, and a leader.

Mumbai Indians (MI):

Retained: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma

Released: Ishan Kishan, Tim David

Need: An opener, power-hitters and backup pacers.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK):

Retained: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube

Released: Deepak Chahar, Daryl Mitchell

Need: Seam-bowling all-rounders and explosive middle-order hitters.

Rajasthan Royals (RR):

Retained: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma

Released: Jos Buttler, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal

Need: A top-order overseas batter and experienced pacers.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH):

Retained: Pat Cummins, Henrich Klasen, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Nitish Kumar Reddy

Released: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Washington Sundar

Need: Indian pacers and Indian and overseas all-rounders

10. Gujarat Titans (GT):

Retained: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia

Released: Mohammed Shami, Kane Williamson

Need: Middle-order and power-hitting batsmen, pacers

Players in demand

Captains: Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Jos Buttler are hot prospects for teams like RCB, KKR, and LSG, which lack leadership.

Power-hitters: Teams like DC and MI may target Glenn Maxwell or Tim David to address their middle-order needs.

All-rounders: With Curran and Stoinis released, players like Cameron Green and Liam Livingstone could be sought after by PBKS and CSK.

Pacers: Team needing pace reinforcements, such as RCB and RR, may focus on Trent Boult, Jofra Archer and Mohammed Shami.