In recent years, some franchises have begun hosting mock auctions that engage fans even before the main event, and on Wednesday, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) organized its own with some dedicated supporters, resulting in some surprising outcomes that may truly reflect fan opinions on players. The IPL 2025 mega auction will take place in Jeddah on November 24-25.
KKR Mock Auction: Shreyas Iyer takes only Rs 4.4 crore
In this fan-driven auction, the first player up for bidding was India’s seasoned all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who is veteran in the league. Surprisingly, despite a base price of INR 2 crore, none of the five teams—each with a budget of INR 51 crore—showed interest in acquiring him. He could have surely been a shrewd signing.
But nonetheless, Shreyas Iyer was roped in by the ‘Purple Knights’ for just Rs 4.4 crore. Why this is surprising is due to the fact that we all believed he will be one of the most sought after players at the IPL 2025 mega auction. After all, he is one of the prime captaincy candidate and a top Indian name. Notably, it was only KKR who released him after Iyer reportedly asked for an exorbitant fee. Shreyas Iyer was picked up at Rs 12.25 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction by KKR. Since then, he built a great team environment, ultimately guiding them to the crown earlier this year.
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KKR Mock Auction: Mohammed Shami gets Rs 9.6 crore
Mohammed Shami was the fourth player to have his name call out at the KKR mock auction after Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, and Glenn Maxwell. Teams got in bidding war for the premier Indian pacer, who has recently made his return to competitive cricket. Ultimately, Shami was roped in by Regal Knights for Rs 9.6 crore. His base price was also set at Rs 2 crore. Mind you, he last played in the IPL in 2023 season.
The 34-year-old has been going through a string of injuries and rehab for surgeries, but his delay from the field has only increased. Having said that, his record in the IPL remains excellent. In his last season in 2023, he played 17 matches and picked up 28 wickets for GT, at an economy rate of 8.03. Overall, in 110 matches he has 127 wickets to his name. So without any doubt, he will be an excellent addition to the team.
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