Top 3 blunders at IPL 2025 Mega Auction

Top 3 blunders at IPL 2025 Mega Auction. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega-auction in Jeddah was more than just a player trading event; it involved drama that exposed minute blunders during the marathon event. As franchises fought it out with hefty purses and huge bids, some decisions grabbed headlines as potential game-changers. With 577 players under the hammer and 182 players ultimately securing contracts, including 120 Indians and 62 overseas players, the auction saw a total of INR 639.15 crore being splurged.

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision to exhaust a huge sum of INR 23.75 crore for Venkatesh Iyer raised eyebrows. While the auction did see the remarkable signing of 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi by Rajasthan Royals, many young cricketers were essentially sidelined. Franchises appeared more enthusiastic about acquiring marquee names and proven performers, potentially missing out on nurturing future cricket gems.

Punjab Kings (PBKS), after spending a mind-boggling INR 110.5 crore for 23 players, acquired quality players like Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal for extravagant amounts. Furthermore, Lucknow Super Giants made huge investments in Rishabh Pant, making him the most expensive player in IPL auction history.

Here are the top 3 blunders that took place at the IPL 2025 auction:

3. Auctioneer Mallika Sagar mispronounces Manvanth Kumar’s base price:

Manvanth Kumar. (Photo Source: Manvanth Kumar/Instagram)

During the IPL mega-auction’s accelerated round on the second day, auctioneer Mallika Sagar had a surprising slip of the tongue moment when she accidentally announced the base price of Manvanth Kumar as INR 30 crore instead of INR 30 lakh. She quickly corrected her mistake, though, which involved the Maharaja T20 Trophy hero and Hubli Tigers all-rounder.

Despite the brief moment of confusion, Delhi Capitals proceeded with the bidding process, ultimately securing Kumar for his original base price of INR 30 lakh.

Speaking of Manvanth Kumar’s performances, the all-rounder was part of Hubli Tigers at the 2024 edition of the Maharaja Trophy. With the ball in hand, the player took 15 wickets throughout the ten matches of the season. The player made a handful of contribution with the bat as well, scoring 100 runs across six innings.

2. Arjun Tendulkar called as Arjun Indians by Mallika Sagar:

Arjun Tendulkar. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians finally secured the services of all-rounder, Arjun Tendulkar in the last few moments when his name was called for the second time. The son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was initially unsold, with no teams showing interest in the early round. MI, his home team, ultimately bid for him at his base price of INR 30 lakh.

Mallika Sagar, the auctioneer, committed another slip of tongue, as she called the player name as Arjun Indians instead of the surname – Tendulkar. However, sooner the name came up for the second time in the player auction, than Mumbai Indians upped their paddle.

Arjun, who started as a net bowler for MI, has played five matches in the IPL so far, picking three wickets in his limited appearances. His T20 career numbers include 26 wickets in 23 matches and an economy rate of 8.70 runs per over.

1. Swastik Chikara’s auction drama between RCB and DC:

Swastik Chikara. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were involved in a controversial bidding incident involving young opener Swastik Chikara. The 19-year-old, who had recently dominated the UP T20 League, became the point of a heated dispute when Delhi Capitals (DC) claimed their bid was overlooked.

Auctioneer Mallika Sagar admitted to potentially missing DC’s paddle due to the auction’s fast pace. Despite DC head coach Hemang Badani’s objection, RCB secured Chikara at the base price of INR 30 lakh, as auction rules say that a sale becomes final once the gavel falls. DC co-owner Kiran Kumar Grandhi expressed his frustration, feeling they had been unfairly denied a talent who had earlier won the Orange Cap and MVP in the UP T20 League.

Also Check: 5 lesser-known players sold for surprisingly high prices at IPL 2025 auction

However, the auctioneer reiterated that she could not see the paddle up before the hammer went down on the player. The player will now play for RCB for the upcoming 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League.