IPL 2025 Auction: James Anderson Goes Unsigned

James Anderson, England's leading Test wicket-taker, went unselected in the 2025 IPL auction, held over two days. Despite retiring from Test cricket in July and expressing hope for an IPL stint, the 42-year-old veteran failed to attract bids. Anderson, who last played T20 internationals over 15 years ago, entered the auction with a reserve price of £115,000 but remained unsold. 

Anderson, who has never featured in the IPL, had shared his belief that he still had the skills to compete. However, concerns about his lack of recent match practice likely deterred teams. While he could still be brought in as an injury replacement or for players departing due to international duties, such a scenario appears unlikely. 

A standout moment of the auction was Rajasthan Royals signing 13-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi for £105,000. Suryavanshi recently made headlines with a blistering 58-ball century for India Under-19s against Australia. 

Among England players, Sam Curran was re-signed by Chennai Super Kings, following his record-breaking deal last year. Jamie Overton joined Curran at CSK, while Will Jacks secured a spot with Mumbai Indians. Moeen Ali, initially unsold, was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders. 

Meanwhile, stars like Jonny Bairstow, Ben Duckett, Steve Smith, and David Warner went unsold, as Rishabh Pant emerged as the auction's record buy. The Indian wicketkeeper was acquired by Lucknow Super Giants for £2.54 million, marking another milestone in IPL history.