Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar, although currently not in contention for a spot in the Indian squad, found themselves in the midst of a bidding war during the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. Bhuvneshwar, with 181 wickets in 176 IPL appearances, became the second-highest wicket-taker among fast bowlers in the tournament’s history. He was eventually sold to Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a whopping INR 10.75 crore, after a fierce bidding war with Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.
On the other hand, Deepak Chahar was quickly snapped up by Mumbai Indians for INR 9.25 crore, showcasing a similar skill set to Bhuvneshwar. Delhi Capitals used their Right-To-Match card to retain Mukesh after a bidding war with Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings. Tushar Deshpande, a former CSK pacer, was picked by Rajasthan Royals for INR 6.50 crore.
Surprisingly, former Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson, along with Indian batters Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, and Mayank Agarwal, did not receive any bids at their base prices. India all-rounder Shardul Thakur also went unsold. However, some notable buys included Marco Jansen to PBKS for INR 7 crore, Krunal Pandya to RCB for INR 5.75 crore, and Washington Sundar to Gujarat for INR 3.2 crore, following his impressive performance in the recent India vs. New Zealand Test series.
The auction day was marked by intense bidding wars and surprising twists, with Indian fast bowlers reaping big rewards despite their current absence from the national team.
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