5 seasoned players who have the potential to fetch a hefty sum in the IPL 2025 mega-auction

Faf du Plessis, who is now 40 years old, bid farewell to Test cricket in 2021 and played his last ODI and T20I matches in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Despite his retirement from international cricket, du Plessis has shown a remarkable transformation in his T20I batting approach in recent years. He notably achieved higher strike rates in his last two IPL seasons than in any of his previous 10 seasons. In a surprising turn of events, du Plessis captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru from 2022 to 2024 after Virat Kohli stepped down. However, the team has decided not to retain him for the upcoming season. Despite this, other franchises are eager to secure the services of the dynamic batter, given his exceptional performances in the past two IPL seasons. In 2023, du Plessis recorded a phenomenal strike rate of 153.68 in 14 matches, followed by an even more impressive 161.62 in 15 matches during the 2024 season. It remains to be seen which team will snatch up this seasoned player for the next IPL campaign.

David Warner (38 years old): An IPL legend, David Warner's stock hasn't quite hit the highs ever since he left the Sunrisers Hyderabad after the 2021 season. His strike rates were in the 130s at the end of the 2024 and 2023 seasons for the Delhi Capitals. However, Warner no retired from all forms of international cricket this year which means that he could be quite fresh going into the 2025 IPL season. As seen previously with Du Plessis and with AB de Villiers, Warner could get back to striking fast with the necessity to adapt to different formats now off his shoulders. It would be quite a surprise if there is only a short bidding war for the former Australia opener.

Mitchell Starc (34 years old): It is sometimes easy to forget that Mitchell Starc is 34 years old. The pacer continues to be a vital cog for Australia in all formats. Starc and his Australia captain Pat Cummins made headlines after KKR and SRH respectively shattered records to acquire them in the 2023 auction. While Starc played an integral role for KKR in the playoffs and the final as they won their first IPL title in a decade, he was quite poor in the league stage which may have played a role in him not being retained. However, he will surely remain in high demand.

Ravichandran Ashwin (38 years old): Ashwin is among the most experienced players even among the older lot of star names in the auction, having made 212 appearances in the IPL since 2009. His prowess as a spinner remains unparalleled and he is also a very handy lower-order batter. On top of it all, Ashwin also possesses one of the sharpest minds in the game. Virat Kohli unbeaten 82 is what is remembered the most when speaking about India's thrilling win against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup at the MCG but it was Ashwin calmly leaving the last ball and lettin it go for a wide and then lifting the next delivery over the infield that took India over the line.

Mohammad Nabi (39 years old): Mumbai Indians had to let go of the Afghanistan great but there is a very good chance of the franchise going back in for him. Nabi's best days are certainly behind him but he remains a very effective all-rounder. Moreover, he is a sharp fielder despite his age. Nabi remains a very useful tool to have in the shed and it will be a surprise if he gets sold after only a short bidding war.