The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction captivated fans worldwide as they eagerly watched franchises battle it out to secure top players at staggering prices.
The event lived up to its hype, with record-breaking bids of ₹27 crores for Rishabh Pant and ₹26.75 crores for Shreyas Iyer making headlines and rewriting the auction history books.
Ahead of the auction, the BCCI allowed each of the 10 franchises a limited number of retentions. As a result, several teams were forced to release at least one of their openers from the previous season, adding even more intrigue to the bidding wars.
KKR: Narine and de Kock to Open
KKR retained Sunil Narine but replaced Phil Salt with Quinton de Kock for INR 3.6 crores. De Kock is likely to open alongside Narine, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz as a backup option.
SRH: Retaining the Deadly Duo
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who combined for 599 runs at a strike rate of 220 last season, were retained for 14 crores each. They remain SRH’s explosive opening pair for IPL 2025.
RR: Jaiswal and Samson at the Top
RR retained Yashasvi Jaiswal for INR 18 crores and released Jos Buttler. Sanju Samson, with recent T20I centuries, is set to open alongside Jaiswal, with Nitish Rana likely at No. 3.
RCB: Salt and Padikkal in Focus
RCB brought in Phil Salt for INR 11.5 crores and reunited with Devdutt Padikkal. Virat Kohli might bat at No. 3, given the absence of Maxwell or Jacks in the middle order.
CSK: Conway and Gaikwad Reunite
Devon Conway, purchased for INR 6.25 crores, is set to open with Ruturaj Gaikwad after missing IPL 2024. CSK aims to regain stability at the top order.
MI: Rohit and Jacks Combine
MI retained Rohit Sharma and brought in England’s Will Jacks to replace Ishan Kishan. This pairing could be one of IPL 2025’s most destructive opening duos.
DC: Rahul and Fraser-McGurk Lead
DC retained Jake Fraser-McGurk, who excelled with a 224 strike rate last season, and bought KL Rahul for INR 14 crores. Both are expected to form DC’s new opening pair.
LSG: A Fresh Start with Markram and Marsh
LSG released their previous openers and is set to start fresh with Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, both proven performers in white-ball cricket.
GT: Gill and Buttler Join Forces
GT retained Shubman Gill and acquired Jos Buttler, creating a formidable opening pair for IPL 2025. Sai Sudharsan might slot back to No. 3.
PBKS: Prabhsimran and Stoinis
PBKS retained Prabhsimran Singh and added Marcus Stoinis, who opens in the BBL. Josh Inglis is another option to fill the opener’s role.