While some big names went unsold, others sparked fierce competition among the franchises
(L-R) Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw (Pic: AFP)
The second day of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction unfolded with a mix of surprises and tense bidding battles. While some big names went unsold, others sparked fierce competition among the franchises.
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Day two witnessed players such as Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Rovman Powell, Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal, and Prithvi Shaw failing to attract bids.
Shardul Thakur, despite having a base price of INR 2 crore, also went unsold, leaving many to question the reasoning behind their lack of interest in such experienced players.
The day began with anticipation building around Washington Sundar, who became the first big-ticket item in the auction. There was intense competition between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), both franchises eyeing the talented all-rounder. After a few rounds of bidding, the Gujarat Titans secured Sundar for INR 3.20 crore, successfully adding the versatile player to their squad.
Another notable acquisition on Day 2 was South African all-rounder Marco Jansen, who was snapped up by Punjab Kings for INR 7 crore. Jansen, with his ability to contribute both with the bat and ball, is expected to bolster Punjab’s middle order and pace attack, making him a valuable asset to the franchise.
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The most thrilling bidding war in the afternoon session was for Krunal Pandya, with Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) battling it out. Despite long pauses during the bidding, both teams were determined to acquire Pandya. Ultimately, RCB emerged victorious, securing the all-rounder for INR 5.75 crore, slightly higher than his base price of INR 2 crore. LSG, who had earlier shown interest, chose not to use their Right To Match (RTM) option.
While the second day of the auction did not witness any further record-breaking bids like the ones seen on Day 1, there were still some key additions. On Day 1, Lucknow Super Giants had set the stage with their bold move to land Rishabh Pant for a record INR 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. The first day of the auction saw a total of INR 467.95 crore being spent on 72 players, with franchises scrambling to secure their targets.
As the auction progressed to its final stages, it was clear that some franchises were still heavily invested in reinforcing their squads. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians entered the last day of bidding with the largest purses, INR 30.65 crore and INR 26.10 crore, respectively. Both franchises were expected to make aggressive moves to complete their squads with the remaining funds. Punjab Kings, with INR 22.50 crore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who had a much smaller purse of INR 5.15 crore, also had crucial decisions to make in the final hours of the auction.
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