IPL 2025 Auctions: Top 5 Star Players Who Remained Shockingly Unsold This Time

Saudi Arabia wants to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil by focusing on tourism and sports. They have set their sights on India, a populous country where over 20 million people watched the last IPL auction on Star Sports alone. Saudi Arabia has stepped in for publicity.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the banks of the Red Sea. In the country of billionaires, the franchises spent ₹639.15 crore in two days. During this time, several players received the highest prices of their careers, while several star players remained unsold. Let’s take a quick look at all those star players who remain unsold for the upcoming season.

1. David Warner

Despite being one of the best cricketers in IPL history and leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to the championship, David Warner failed to attract any bids in the IPL 2025 auction, even after his name was mentioned twice. Many other star players, though not legends like Warner, also went unsold this year. The Australian legend has played 184 matches in the IPL, scoring a total of 6,565 runs. He has hit 62 fifties and 4 hundreds, with his highest score being 126. Despite his impressive record and leadership skills Warner went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction.

▶️ Most 50+ scores
▶️ Fourth-highest run-getter
🏆 Title-winning captain

David Warner, IPL legend, went unsold at the auction pic.twitter.com/G3zTz2zoTB

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 25, 2024

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2. Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson, the former New Zealand captain, comes after David Warner in the list of unsold players. He played 10 seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans in the IPL, scoring 2,128 runs with 18 fifties. However, no team showed interest in him this time. Williamson’s strike rate of 125 could be a factor behind his failure to attract bidders, as it doesn’t align with the current fast-paced nature of IPL cricket.

3. Steve Smith

Australian legend Steve Smith, who has played 9 IPL seasons, also did not find a team. His strike rate of below 130 might have contributed to this, as teams seem to be prioritizing players with higher strike rates in the shorter format.

4. Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow’s failure to get a team was a bit surprising. The England batsman, known for his ability to hit big shots, has a strike rate of 152 from last season. Despite this, he scored only 298 runs in 11 matches. His inconsistent performances over the past two seasons might have contributed to the teams’ lack of interest.

The Man Who Chased 262 Against Bowling Attack of KKR is Unsold For Now But I Hope He Gets Sold for Base Price by The End .

Jonny Bairstow 🥲 pic.twitter.com/pfCvhUG0el

— Junaid Khan (@JunaidKhanation) November 24, 2024

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5. Shardul Thakur

Indian pacer Shardul Thakur, who was expected to be one of the most sought-after players in the auction, also went unsold. The all-rounder, with a base price of ₹2 crore and 94 IPL wickets to his name, failed to attract any bids, surprising many.

Shardul Thakur in IPL year by year:

2014-16: 20 lakh (PBKS)
2017: 20 lakh (RPS)
2018-21: 2.6 crore (CSK)
2022: 10.75 crore (DC)
2023: 10.75 crore (KKR)
2024: 4 crore (CSK)
2025: Unsold pic.twitter.com/uVIepytr3g

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) November 25, 2024

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Other Notable names

James Anderson, England’s all-time best bowler, failed to attract interest from any team, despite entering the auction. Similarly, Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman, who impressed last season with 14 wickets in 9 matches for Chennai Super Kings, was also left unsold. This was surprising given his consistent presence in previous auctions.

Cricketers like Daryl Mitchell and Riley Russo also failed to secure a team. Mayank Agarwal, despite his solid IPL record, was another notable name left out, as his playing style may not align with modern T20 trends. Similarly, experienced spinner Piyush Chawla went unsold, which suggests that franchises are now focusing on more specialized or younger spin options.

Here is a Complete list of players who remain unsold for the upcoming season: