The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced that a staggering 1574 players have registered for the highly anticipated 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction, scheduled to take place on November 24 and 25 in the vibrant city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In a surprising turn of events, England's Test captain Ben Stokes, known for his lucrative contracts in the past, has chosen not to register for the upcoming auction. Stokes, who was acquired by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 16.25 crore in the 2023 mini-auction, did not participate in the 2024 season.
On the other hand, there has been a significant development with the registration of James Anderson, who recently retired from international cricket. The 42-year-old veteran, with a base price of Rs 1.25 crore, will be entering the auction after a hiatus of 13 seasons. Despite being the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history, Anderson has yet to make his IPL debut after going unsold in the 2011 and 2012 auctions.
Interestingly, Anderson has not played any T20 cricket since 2014, when he last appeared in a T20 Blast match for Lancashire against Warwickshire. The esteemed English fast bowler has only featured in 19 T20Is, with his last appearance dating back to 2009.
Throughout his career, Anderson has participated in 44 T20 matches, claiming 41 wickets at an economy rate of 8.47. In T20 internationals, he has taken 18 wickets at an economy rate of 7.84.
The final shortlist for the auction is eagerly awaited, with the BCCI expected to reveal the selected players in the coming days. Among the registered players, 52 are from England, making them the third-largest contingent of overseas players after South Africa (91) and Australia (76).
During the IPL 2025 Retentions on October 31, none of the ten franchises chose to retain any English players. Among the high-profile overseas releases was Jos Buttler, the England white-ball captain and opener for the Rajasthan Royals.
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