IPL 2025 Auctions | Loading in Jeddah: the biggest auction with star Indian players to go under the hammer

The IPL Player Auction in Jeddah features a record purse and big names, promising a thrilling bidding war.

Off the Red Sea, Jeddah — the second-largest city of Saudi Arabia — is considered the gateway to the holy city of Mecca. Over the next two days, however, the Benchmark Arena will not only put the nation on the cricketing map, but also end up being the gateway to riches for a plethora of cricketers.

A total of 577 cricketers — legends and lesser-known names — will hope to draw the franchises’ attention during the annual bidding fiesta called the IPL Player Auction.

As the franchise entourages descended on the port city, indications are that it will be the grandest auction — not just metaphorically — of the 18 auctions held in the history of the Indian Premier League.

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Not only because it will have the largest-ever purse — ₹641.50 crore this time around (in the last full auction in 2022, it was ₹561.50 crore) — but also because of the presence of some of the biggest names in the auction list.

The field is usually deprived of marquee Indian names, due to the IPL retention policy. This time around, however, it is different.

Rishabh Pant, K.L. Rahul and Shreyas Iyer — who lifted the IPL trophy as KKR captain last year — will feature in the IPL Auction. Add to the list the likes of Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran, and it will be the first instance of the previous season’s five captains going under the hammer.