IPL 2025 Auction: Surprise Exclusions From the MI and PBKS Squad

The retentions saw some strategic selections and exclusion for the coming auction. The teams are well prepared for the auction and will be going into it with a good amount of purses to buy some old friends and make some new ones. However, the route won’t be easy for them.

Mumbai Indians have retained his Fab 4 including Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Buram, and Suryakumar Yadav, and the MI franchise also showed their faith in the youngster Tilak Varma for retaining him for INR 8 Crores. MI will be going to the IPL 2025 Auction with a purse value of INR 45 Crores to build the remaining squad.

On the other hand, Punjab Kings just retained 2 uncapped players Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh, and kept INR 110.5 Crores in the purse after releasing the rest. But there would be some players that PBKS management would try their best to get back at a more reasonable rate than retaining them at a higher price.

Let’s look at the players who would be the most likely picks again by their recent franchises in the IPL 2025 Auction:

Mumbai Indians

MI has been one of the fan-favorites and 5-times IPL winner. The team had great players ever since from Sachin, and Ponting to Rohit, and Bumrah. The team doesn’t refrain from taking harsh calls and it has worked for them. They retained 5 capped players and are left with a purse of INR 45 Crore. However, the management would love to have a few players back in their squad and retain the core.

Let’s look at the key players whom MI will look to have back in the squad:

Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan will be on the target of MI to sort one of their openers. Ishan has been phenomenal for MI and has won them single-handedly. His ability to take down the bowlers from the word go makes him a dangerous batsman. His powerplay game has significantly improved and causes damage to the opposition. In 89 games for MI, Ishan has smashed 2325 runs at a healthy strike rate of above 130. The management would love to have their ‘pocket dynamo’ back.

Nehal Wadhera

One of the sensational youngsters who did a phenomenal job for MI. Bought at a base price of INR 20 Lakh, Wadhera had a great outing as a youngster in the IPL 2023. He has scored 350 runs in 20 matches for MI at a strike rate of 140. The remarkable thing about his batting is his ability to change the game and give a strong finish to the team. The disastrous season for MI in 2024 saw a dip in Wadhera’s performances. However, the management would like to have him back and give a longer run in the coming seasons.

Anshul Kamboj

The 24-years right arm fast bowler will be in the sight of MI management. In 3 matches for MI, Kamboj has picked up 2 wickets at an economy of more than 11. The stat doesn’t reflect the potential he has with the bowl. In his domestic T20 career, Kamboj has picked up 46 wickets in 41 matches at an economy of around 8.5. Under the new coach, the MI management would like to have the gun-fast bowler back in their squad. His ability to pick wickets with new ball makes him an exciting and interesting choice for MI. His inclusion will give MI the liberty of choosing 4 overseas players as per the situation.

Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings could be studied as a curious case of underperforming every time. The star-studded team fails to collectively perform on the big stage. The best season for Punjab Kings was in 2014 when they reached the final only to lose to KKR. Since then, PBKS has never qualified for the knockouts even with some big international names in the team. The team saw some glimpse of hope in the last season where they found a few quality players who performed under pressure.

Having retained only two players, PBKS will be looking to get the below-mentioned players back in their squad:

Arshdeep Singh

Probably, the first name that PBKS would like to retain for the kind of form that Arshdeep Singh has. One of the finest in the world cricket, and rated highly as a left-arm bowler. Arshdeep played a vital role in India’s campaign in the T20 World Cup. His match-winning spell in the final helped India lift the cup after 17 years. Punjab won’t let go of Arshdeep and is likely to retain him at any cost. In 65 matches for PBKS, Arshdeep has picked 76 wickets. His ability to bowl tightly with the new ball and execute the plan perfectly at the death gives him an edge over other bowlers. Punjab’s new favorite son is likely to stay in the team for a longer time.

Sam Curran

Sam Curran has always been an integral part of any team he has played for. His all-round ability makes him a likely choice for any team. His young age and experience performing in the big match have been his plus points. Picked at a heavy price of INR 18.50 Crore in 2023, Curran has performed decently well for the team.

In 27 matches he has around 500 runs at a strike rate of nearly 130 and has picked 26 wickets at an economy of 10. His captaincy skills make him one of the trusted players of the PBKS management. However, this time he may find it hard to get such a massive price due to mega auction dynamics. But, PBKS management will try their best to get Sam Curran’s service back to them.

Harpreet Brar

Picked at INR 3.80 Crore in IPL 2022, Harpreet Brar has performed satisfactorily in his limited opportunities. A bowling all-rounder who was mostly used as a match-up player against certain opposition. He has been good enough for PBKS and has played an important role when needed. His ability to bowl tightly in the middle over by his disciplined bowling at a particular line and length sets him apart from the rest.

He has picked 39 wickets and scored 233 runs for Punjab Kings in 41 matches in 6 years. Punjab Kings would want to retain their faith in this 29-year-old and have him back in their squad to sort out their Indian core. As a bowling all-rounder, Brar can play a vital role in PBKS’s success in the coming IPL.

The upcoming auction will see them form a new team and make a great turnaround in the coming seasons of the IPL.