IPL 2025 Auction: Best XIs and Analysis of All Teams

The IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah was a battle royale as 577 players came, and 182 got signed, while 62 overseas players also got into the mix. And the total spend over these two days was an eye-popping INR 639.15 crore, where all 10 teams managed to go out with a renewed squad. Let’s briefly summarize how the teams panned out, their best-playing XIs.

Team Analysis and Best XIs

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

CSK stayed to their philosophy of experience and depth, reacquiring Sam Curran and adding Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad.

• Best XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed/Noor Ahmad.

Delhi Capitals (DC)

DC made waves by signing KL Rahul, addressing their opening woes, but their lack of seasoned bowling depth raises questions.

• Best XI: KL Rahul, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Harry Brook, Abhishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

KKR splurge on Venkatesh Iyer for INR 23.75 crore emphasizes faith in their core, but a stable captain remains elusive.

• Best XI: Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Anrich Nortje.

Gujarat Titans (GT)

GT secured a balanced squad, relying on all-rounders like Washington Sundar and Glenn Phillips to complement their batting might.

• Best XI: Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

The acquisition of Rishabh Pant highlighted LSG’s auction. With a strong bowling unit, their untested opening pair is a minor concern.

• Best XI: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan.

Mumbai Indians (MI)

MI’s late spree with Trent Boult and Will Jacks fortified their lineup, making them early favorites despite limited bench strength.

• Best XI: Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya, Robin Minz, Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult.

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

PBKS assembled a batting-heavy squad led by Shreyas Iyer and backed by all-round options like Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen.

• Best XI: Prabhsimran Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis, Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Shashank Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak.

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

With Jofra Archer and Wanindu Hasaranga, RR’s bowling attack looks potent, though the lack of experienced Indian pacers could hurt.

• Best XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Maheesh Theekshana, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Madhwal, Shubham Dubey.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

RCB’s mix of youth and experience, with Liam Livingstone and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, makes them a well-rounded contender.

• Best XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

SRH’s aggressive retentions and new signings, including Ishan Kishan and Pat Cummins, solidified their core, but they lack a reliable No.7.

• Best XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Abhinav Manohar.

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