Some IPL 2025 auction picks that haunted the team (Source: AFP & X.com/@Ayyappan_1504)
The anticipation about IPL 2026 player retentions is in full swing, with fans and pundits speculating on the possible release of players and retentions for their favored teams. In contrast, for the franchises, the preparations for the upcoming edition start now.
With the mini auction tentatively scheduled to happen in December, followed by the IPL 2026 mega Auction. Notably, it will be the only and last opportunity for the teams to rectify previous mistakes and build a better squad through strategic and tactical decisions surrounding player retentions and the auction alike.
That being said, in this article, we recap the top 5 IPL 2025 Auction fails that made the teams pay a heavier price during the season, including “the wrong Iyer bagging a heavy price”.
IPL 2025 Auction/ Player Retention: Tactical mistakes that hurt big
| Player | Price (INR) | Matches | Runs/Wkts | Team Finish | Verdict |
| Rishabh Pant | 27 Cr | 14 | 269 runs | 7th | High cost, low impact |
| Venkatesh Iyer | 23.75 Cr | 11 | 142 runs | 8th | Overpriced |
| Mohammad Shami | 10 Cr | 9 | 6 wkts | 5th | Economy issues |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 9.75 Cr | 9 | 7 wkts | 6th | Misutilized |
| Kagiso Rabada | 10.75 Cr | 4 | 2 wkts | 4th | Off-field issues |
Rishabh Pant for ₹27 crore by LSG: Most expensive player or most expensive blunder in IPL history
The most expensive player in IPL history, Rishabh Pant’s INR 27 crore deal with the Lucknow Super Giants sent massive shockwaves in the cricketing world. LSG, after letting KL Rahul go, not only saw a premier wicket-keeper batter in him, but also a future leader and a crowd-puller.
Trusting his ability to change the course of the game, LSG spent a massive bag on the player. However, Pant failed to impress, finishing the tournament with only 269 runs in 14 matches, and if his knock of 118* against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 27 May 2025 is left aside, the batter only managed 151 runs in 13 initial games. Not only that, under his leadership, Super Giants finished 7th in the IPL 2025 points table, with only 6 wins in 14 matches.
Rishabh Pant’s signing was initially considered a very smart move by the LSG management. But his performance throughout the tournament and the franchise’s eventual result disappointed one and all, who expected otherwise from him.
Wrong ‘Iyer’ bagged heavily in IPL 2025, Feat. KKR
The winners of IPL 2024, the Kolkata Knight Riders, made headlines for securing the services of all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for a whopping ₹23.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega-auction. Venky Iyer’s price tag made him a significant player for KKR, but he had quite a disappointing time in the previous year's competition, scoring only 142 runs in 11 matches.
According to him, his poor performance was a result of the change in his batting position. In addition to that, the expectations came in with his heavy price, further affecting him psychologically.
However, this wasn’t the biggest blunder KKR made.
Despite leading the franchise to their maiden IPL title in a decade in 2024, the Knight Riders let their captain, Shreyas Iyer, go without even putting up a fight in the auction. Iyer’s stint with KKR was nothing short of remarkable. He guided the team to victory, and his batting played a decisive role in their triumph. His leadership and performance made him a key figure in the squad.
His exit from KKR marked a significant downfall for the team. With Ajinkya Rahane being named the new captain, the reigning champions critically failed, finishing eighth in the table.
SRH spending INR 10 crore on Shami raised eyebrows
No doubt, Md. Shami is one of the best pacers on Indian soil; however, spending ₹10 crore on him backfired for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Pat Cummins-led SRH were the sheer favourites for the title in IPL 2025, after a magnificent run in the previous season. Nonetheless, their decisions during the auction stage were flawed in backing dependable bowlers. At the top of this list is Shami, who picked only 6 wickets in 9 games with an economy rate of 11.23.
While Hyderabad batters scored runs at a lightning speed, their bowlers conceded them just as fast. Hence, the franchise will look to put it right this time around.
.jpg)
CSK’s heavy investment in older guards
Since the inception of the cash-rich tournament, one team has continuously kept its faith in older guns. Despite the changing times and needs of modern-day cricket, Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni have backed experience over youth. Following the same, the Kings bought the services of R. Ashwin for INR 9.75 Cr.
Ashwin, despite his reputation, proved to be ineffective for the five-time champions, picking up only 7 dismissals in 9 games at an economy of 9.13. After CSK’s exit last year, veterans like Harbhajan Singh criticized their utilisation of Ashwin and questioned the logic behind paying such a huge amount for the veteran.
"Chennai didn't select the team based on conditions. Had Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja played together against Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings could have won the match. You didn't pay Rs 10 crore for Ashwin to bench him. I don't know why he is not playing, but it seems he might have fought with someone," Harbhajan said, reported by NDTV Sports.
Grands GT spent on Kagiso Rabada went in vain
Gujarat Titans spent 10.75 Crore INR on the South African pacer Kagiso Rabada. Considering his mark in world cricket, initially, it appeared fair. However, later in the tournament, the pick misfired for the one-time IPL winners. Playing only 4 matches, Rabada secured 2 dismissals, with an economy of 11.57. Notably, 1/41 was his best figures last year.
Moreover, drug abuse further marred his reputation, marking his departure from IPL 2025 for the rest of the season. All in all, what appeared to be a smart decision proved unexpectedly costly to the Shubman Gill-led Titans, who were doing well in the initial part of the tournament, showing contention for the trophy.
Final words of wisdom: Learn from the masters, aka CSK
As teams gear up for the IPL 2026 mini auction, these past blunders serve as valuable lessons. From overspending on out-of-form stars to letting go of proven leaders, franchises will need to tread carefully.
One lesson the other nine teams can take is from CSK infamously taking advantage of the flawed ‘uncapped player’ rule, to retain MS Dhoni for only Rs. 4 crores. With only one shot to get it right, the pressure is higher than ever as the BCCI player retention rules make it tougher for the teams.
.jpg)
