Top 3 blunders at IPL 2025 Mega Auction

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:

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 contributions with the bat as well, scoring 100 runs across six innings.