The Indian Premier League (IPL) is expected to hold another mega-auction in Saudi Arabia during the final week of November, and the cricket community is ecstatic. While fans wait to see how their favourite teams put together their squads, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is preparations to make the mega-auction a spectacular event.
Fans were caught off guard by a few calls when the teams revealed their retentions on October 31. Nonetheless, the majority of the releases and retentions followed expectations. As the mega-auction approaches, teams are scrambling to make last-minute arrangements in order to strengthen their roster with important additions before the 2025 Indian Premier League.
Certain well-known names in world cricket may not find teams and wind up unsold in the upcoming mega-auction. has selected five well-known players who might not sell at the auction.
Here are the top five released players who might go unsold in the upcoming auction:
1. Ajinkya Rahane
The most well-known Indian player to go unsold at this year’s IPL mega-auction may be Ajinkya Rahane. For INR 50 lakhs, the Mumbai batter joined CSK prior to the 2023 IPL. With 326 runs at a strike rate of 172.49 and a stellar first season, he helped the MS Dhoni-led team win their fifth IPL championship.
He finished the following season with just 242 runs from 13 games at a pitiful average of 20.17 and a pitiful strike rate of 123.47, though, falling short of his high expectations. To remind everyone of Rahane’s potential as a hitter in T20 cricket, he will just play one match against Goa if the auction starts on November 25. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 starts on November 23.
2. Kane Williamson
At this year’s IPL auction, one of the biggest names that might not sell is Kane Williamson. In IPL 2024, the ace batter from New Zealand only appeared in two games for the Gujarat Titans. Having participated in 79 IPL matches, he has amassed 2,128 runs at an average of 35.47 and a strike rate of 125.62.
In an attempt to extend his international career, Williamson declined a central contract with the BlackCaps and gave up running the white-ball teams for New Zealand. Recently, the stalwart missed the entire Test series between India and New Zealand due to injury problems. Teams might be hesitant to sign the former Orange Cap champion because of his injury problems and lack of playing time in both the top T20 leagues and international cricket.
3. Shai Hope
In recent years, the West Indies ODI captain has significantly improved his T20 skills. Shai Hope’s ability to hit lofted shots has improved when he gained muscle. Early in his career, he possessed the gift of timing, but his efforts to improve his power hitting have been admirable. The Delhi Capitals purchased Hope for INR 75 lakh during the IPL 2024 mini-auction. In nine games throughout the season, the Barbados native scored 183 runs with a strike rate of 150 and an average of 22.88.
During this year’s T20 World Cup, Hope only played a few games for the West Indies and had little success. Although he had a fantastic series against South Africa, he was unable to maintain his previous success in Sri Lanka. This five-match Twenty20 International series against England, which begins on November 10, would be crucial for the 30-year-old. He might be able to return to the IPL with a strong performance. International wicketkeepers, however, have a hard time finding bidders at the auction unless they are highly regarded in the format. Hope has yet to reach that point.
4. Keshav Maharaj
In the 2024 Indian Premier League, the Rajasthan Royals signed Keshav Maharaj to replace Prasidh Krishna. The seasoned South African left-arm spinner only participated in two matches, taking two wickets at an economy rate of 6.50 and an average of 19.50. The 34-year-old has taken 35 wickets in as many Twenty20 Internationals games with an economy rate of 7.12 and an average of 24.17.
Maharaj may be vulnerable because of his batting prowess, which is adequate in the game’s longer versions but unsuitable for Twenty20 cricket. There are a number of left-arm spin bowling all-rounders in India’s domestic league. Choosing an overseas spinner who won’t contribute much to the batting area may come as a surprise.
5. Matthew Wade
In 2011, Matthew Wade made his IPL debut before even playing for the Australian senior team for the first time. But in the lucrative league, he has only participated in 15 games. Only 183 runs have been scored by the wicketkeeper-batter at a strike rate of 103.39 and an average of 13.07.
Wade spent the final three IPL seasons with the Gujarat Titans. He participated in 10 games during the team’s inaugural tournament season and didn’t contribute much. Nevertheless, the club defeated the Rajasthan Royals in the championship match to win the tournament. Wade appeared in the playing XI just twice last season and did not play in the 2023 Indian Premier League.
Also Read: IPL 2025: RR’s top 3 players might be released before the mega-auction
The 36-year-old has recently served as the stand-by captain for the Australian squad in the T20 format. At the auction, he is not likely to draw any bids, though.
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