 "IPL 2025 auction Day 2: Teams spend more on bowlers; Bhuvi gets Rs 10.75 cr")
Day 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction saw teams spending more on bowlers, with United Spirits’ Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) shelling out Rs 10.75 crore for fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, marking the highest spend of the day.
Of the top 10 buys on Day 2, six were fast bowlers. Reliance Industries-owned Mumbai Indians (MI) made the second-highest purchase of the day, securing bowler Deepak Chahar for Rs 9.25 crore.
This year’s IPL auction is being held for the first time in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“In an auction, you have to be prepared for disappointments,” said Akash Ambani, representing MI at the press conference streamed live on JioCinema. “We’ve got our Playing 12. Over the past three years, we’ve put a lot of thought into our strategy, and I believe we’re ready for the new Twenty20 (T20) game.”
He also expressed disappointment over losing several former MI players in the auction. MI, which has won the IPL five times, last claimed the trophy in 2020.
At the start of Day 1’s auction, the cumulative funds of all IPL teams totalled Rs 641.5 crore. By the end of Day 1, the total was Rs 173.55 crore. Punjab Kings had the highest funds at Rs 110.5 crore, which decreased to Rs 10.9 crore before the start of the accelerated auction.
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On Day 2, RCB had the largest remaining purse at Rs 30.65 crore, which was reduced to Rs 14.15 crore after 116 players were auctioned. Australian cricketer Josh Hazlewood was the most expensive buy of the day, at Rs 12.5 crore.
Sun TV Network’s Sunrisers Hyderabad began Day 2 with the lowest remaining funds at Rs 45 crore. After 116 players had been auctioned, their purse stood at Rs 5.15 crore.
Of the 116 players auctioned before the accelerated round, 89 were sold, with a cumulative spend of Rs 549.3 crore. By the time 140 players were sold, the total spending had risen to Rs 612.25 crore, with 81 players remaining unsold.
Several international players went unsold, including New Zealand’s former captain Kane Williamson and fellow Kiwi Glenn Phillips. Among Indian batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, and all-rounder Shardul Thakur also went unsold.
The JSW and GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals acquired top players in the first session of Day 2.
Speaking about their purchases, Venugopal Rao, director of cricket for Delhi Capitals, said, “This time, our batting and bowling lineups are very well-balanced. Our bowling lineup is experienced, with fast bowlers like (Mitchell) Starc, (Thangarasu) Natarajan, Mohit (Sharma), and Mukesh (Kumar). They’ll complement our spinners Axar (Patel) and Kuldeep (Yadav). While batters win matches, bowlers will win us the title.”
On acquiring IPL veteran Faf du Plessis, Sourav Ganguly, director of cricket for Delhi Capitals (Women’s Premier League) and JSW Sports, said, “He’s been outstanding in the T20 format, with a terrific Caribbean Premier League and Major League Cricket. Faf’s leadership skills are another strong asset, and we’re thrilled and surprised to have acquired him for this price.”