The countdown for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 begins! We finally have the list for the 574 players who will go under the hammer in Jeddah on November 24-25. The two marquee lists, of course, include the biggest names. The troika of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are undoubtedly the three huge names touted to receive the biggest bids during the mega auction. These three Indian superstars not only bring huge face value to the table but are expected to also lead the teams they will go to. However, the 574-player list also includes two individuals who can be ideal and underrated captaincy candidates too.
Iyer, Pant, KL Rahul to be too costly
It won’t be a surprise if all three of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul bag deals over ₹15 crore each. They are prominent Indian superstars, who have captained a total of 177 times combined, are excellent T20 players. While Pant already gave a hint when he tweeted about his possible exit from Delhi Capitals (DC), Shreyas Iyer and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) couldn’t agree on the retention amount. Insidesport exclusively told about the release of KL Rahul from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). However, not all franchises will be able to afford them. Although PBKS, RCB and even LSG will have the kitty to take interest, other teams would have to look at other options.
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David Warner, Faf du Plessis: Darkest horses at IPL 2025
In such scenario, the experienced and successful individuals in Faf du Plessis and David Warner could be dark horses. After having dip in form, Warner was let go by DC. Regardless, he remains one of the most important contributors in the league’s history. He is the leading run-getter in the IPL among overseas players, having racked up 6,565 runs at an average of 40.52 and at a strike rate close to 140.
Despite hanging up his boots for Australia, Warner is still remains one of those rare overseas players who took an IPL team to a championship. Yes, we all remember how he led the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to their maiden title win when they beat the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2016 final. He also is the leading overseas player on the list of most IPL matches captained, having led a total of 83 times. He has seen success in 40 matches.
As for Faf, he was released by RCB, who have attempted another overhaul. The South African legend is known to a passionate leader, and even raised his captaincy stocks after leading the St Lucia Kings to their maiden CPL title earlier this year. It must be noted that Faf is having one of his better years in T20 too. So far in 2024, the former CSK and RCB opener has made 1097 runs at an incredible strike rate of 160.15, which is his personal best in any year.
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