The well-known proverb says, “Fame and success are fleeting; the branch you’re perched on can break at any moment.” This is the harsh reality of cricket, where today’s star could become tomorrow’s forgotten name. The IPL 2025 Mega Auction, one of the most anticipated events, concluded on November 25, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
While some players received massive bids, others went unsold. The top three highest bids were for Rishabh Pant (₹27 crores for LSG), Shreyas Iyer (₹26.75 crores for PBKS), and Venkatesh Iyer (₹23.75 crores for KKR). Among foreign players, the highest bid was for Jos Buttler, acquired by Gujarat Titans for ₹15.75 crores. However, several famous stars who had earned significant amounts in previous seasons were left without buyers.
This article highlights the top 5 unsold players in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction—those who had previously earned large sums but failed to attract buyers this time around.
5. Daryl Mitchell
The New Zealand cricketer Daryl Mitchell wanted to play in the next IPL season (2025). He put his name down for the player auction, hoping a team would pick him. He wanted to be paid at least two crore rupees.
Mitchell has played in the IPL before. In 2022, he played for Rajasthan Royals but only got a few chances. The following year, no team wanted him. However, after a great performance in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, many teams were interested in him. Chennai Super Kings bought him for a high price of 14 crore rupees in 2024.
But this year, no team wanted to buy him, and he didn’t get any offers at the auction.
4. Jonny Bairstow
England’s top batsman, Jonny Bairstow, has signed up for the IPL 2025 auction. He’s put his name down for a starting price of 2 crore rupees. Last year, he played for the Punjab Kings.
In 2024, Bairstow played 11 matches and scored 298 runs, including a century that helped Punjab chase down a massive target of 262 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Bairstow’s IPL journey started in 2019 with Sunrisers Hyderabad. In his first season, he scored 445 runs in 10 matches, including a century and two half-centuries.
He continued his excellent form in 2020 and 2021, scoring 345 and 248 runs, respectively. In 2022, he played for Punjab Kings and scored 253 runs before missing the 2023 season due to injury. Bairstow is famous for his hard-hitting batting at the top of the order. Many teams are expected to be interested in him at the auction.
However, Jonny Bairstow went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction in a surprising turn of events.
3. Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson, a big name from New Zealand, has signed up for the upcoming IPL 2025 auction. He’s put his name down for a starting price of 2 crore rupees. Last year, he was part of the Gujarat Titans team.
Williamson has been playing in the IPL since 2015, representing Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans. He played only a couple of matches in his first year, but he played more in the following years.
In 2018, he became the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad and led them to the finals. That year, he scored many runs, including eight half-centuries. Since then, he has yet to score as many runs. He stayed with Sunrisers until 2022 and then joined Gujarat Titans. Last year, he only played two matches and didn’t score many runs.
Unfortunately, no team picked him in the last big auction.
2. Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Agarwal, a seasoned Indian cricketer, has registered himself for the IPL 2025 mega auction with a base price of INR 1 crore. The right-handed batsman recently represented Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2024 IPL season.
Despite getting an early opportunity to open the innings, Mayank’s form dipped, and the opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head eventually replaced him. In the 2024 season, he played only four matches, scoring a modest 64 runs.
Mayank has represented five franchises with a career spanning 13 IPL seasons. His journey began with Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011, where he played for three seasons. In 2014, he moved to Delhi Capitals and continued there for another three years. In 2017, he was part of the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant team. From 2018 to 2022, he played for Punjab Kings before joining Sunrisers Hyderabad.
His most successful IPL season came in 2021 when he scored 441 runs for Punjab Kings. Overall, Mayank has played 127 IPL matches and scored 2661 runs.
Unfortunately, Mayank Agarwal failed to secure an IPL contract at the recent mega auction.
1. Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw has entered the IPL 2025 mega auction with a base price of INR 75 lakhs. The right-handed batsman, who played for Delhi Capitals in the last IPL season, has faced a tough few years.
Once seen as a promising talent in Indian cricket, Shaw has struggled to meet expectations. He lost his spot in the Indian Test team and was recently dropped from the Mumbai squad due to fitness concerns. However, the IPL could allow him to revive his career, and he hopes to secure a contract in this year’s auction.
Shaw has been part of the IPL since 2018, representing only Delhi Capitals throughout his career. The team retained him before the 2022 mega auction. Over his IPL career, he has played 79 matches, scoring 1,892 runs, including 14 half-centuries.
Despite his talent, Prithvi Shaw went unsold in the previous auction, failing to attract bids.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the IPL 2025 Mega Auction was full of surprises, and the unsold players on this list highlight the unpredictable nature of the tournament. Whether due to team strategies, budget constraints, or other factors, these players’ exclusion has sparked discussions among fans and experts alike. For those following the IPL closely, understanding these decisions can provide valuable insights into team dynamics and future gameplay. If you’re planning to engage with the tournament further, analyzing such trends can be a useful strategy, especially when using IPL betting sites to make informed predictions. Keep an eye on these players, as they might still prove their worth in upcoming leagues or future IPL seasons.
