IPL 2025: Ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction on November 24-25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, star India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took a creative approach by hosting a mock auction on his YouTube channel. In a fun and engaging segment, Ashwin allowed fans and cricket analysts to bid for players, with high-profile names like KL Rahul, Jos Buttler, David Warner, Trent Boult, and David Miller all being auctioned in a virtual bidding event.
KL Rahul Sparks Bidding War
During the mock auction, KL Rahul triggered a bidding war between two IPL franchises, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, with bids escalating past INR 15 crore. Ashwin, known for his witty commentary, made the event even more entertaining, calling himself the first person in Indian television history to auction himself. “I get very excited about IPL auctions and wanted to bring this excitement to my channel,” Ashwin said, as he introduced the analysts and fans involved in the auction.
A Competitive Mock Auction With IPL Fans And Analysts
The mock auction, conducted with participants who are passionate about the Indian Premier League, was described by Ashwin as “extremely entertaining.” He highlighted that fans, analysts, and IPL enthusiasts picked strong squads, making the event feel like a real auction. “We’ve finished conducting a very competitive auction, and the teams picked by the participants were really impressive,” Ashwin added.
IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Key Details
A total of 1,574 players have registered for the IPL 2025 auction, with 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players on the list. Each IPL franchise can assemble a squad of 25 players, meaning 204 slots are still available across all 10 teams. The Punjab Kings currently have the largest purse, with INR 110.5 crore, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore at INR 83 crore.
Teams With Smaller Budgets
At the other end of the spectrum, Rajasthan Royals have the smallest purse of INR 41 crore, with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians both having INR 45 crore remaining. As the auction draws closer, teams are expected to compete fiercely for top talents, including Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, James Anderson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jofra Archer, and Kagiso Rabada, among others.
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