The Indian Premier League 2025 mega-auction in Jeddah has been nothing short of a sensational two days of intensive hammer sessions, with teams spending massive sums on a plethora of star cricketers. Despite the flash and expenditure of significant money, some other teams conducted their business very sensibly.

A few big-name stars went for a lower price than fans may have expected. Some franchises made good timing decisions and were fortunate to obtain away match-winners at a lower cost than expected. Having said that, here are the top five steal deals from the recent 2025 IPL Mega Auction.

Glenn Maxwell- INR 4.2 Crores (Punjab Kings)

Mighty Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell got a new side in the form of a homecoming with the Punjab Kings (played from 2014 to 2017 and 2020), obtaining a deal for INR 4.20 crore. The 36-year-old was released after three seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and instantly became a target for several teams.

Sunrisers Hyderabad started the bidding battle, followed by Chennai Super Kings until Punjab Kings won the sale at a lower price. PBKS took advantage of an excellent chance to boost its presence abroad for the next season. Maxwell's IPL career encompasses 134 matches and includes 2,771 runs at a strike rate of 156.73 and 37 wickets.

Sam Curran- INR 2.40 Crores (Chennai Super Kings)

Sam Curran is back in yellow; this time, he's a bargain at INR 2.4 crore. Curran's bowling at the death and ability to swing the new ball make him a valuable asset. Add to that his development as a pinch hitter capable of batting higher up the order, and you have the ideal all-rounder.

His flexibility bridges weaknesses in both the batting and bowling areas. Curran's return seems like a masterstroke, whether he's partnering Matheesha Pathirana in slog overs or adding depth to the batting lineup. In 59 IPL appearances for Chennai Super and Punjab Kings, he scored 883 runs and took 58 wickets.

Adam Zampa- INR 2.4 Crores (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Sunrisers Hyderabad made one of the finest moves of the IPL 2025 auction, signing Australian spinner Adam Zampa for only INR 2.40 crore, which helps fill their spinmeister's void. Following a brief bidding battle with the Rajasthan Royals, the seasoned leg-spinner was unexpectedly bought for nearly his introductory price of INR 2 crore.

His IPL career, which began with Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016, has seen noteworthy performances, including a spectacular 6/19 against his current side, SRH. As his history from spells at RCB and RR suggests, Zampa's arrival at this price range might be the season's best bargain. In his 14-match IPL career, he has 21 wickets at 7.74.

See Also: IPL 2025: Top 5 Shocking Unsold Star Players in the IPL history

Quinton de Kock- INR 3.6 Crores (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, pulled off a masterstroke by signing South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock for only INR 3.60 crore. After the Lucknow Super Giants declined to use their Right to Match (RTM) card, KKR took the chance to improve their team. His probable connection with Sunil Narine at the top of the order will help the team get off to a solid start. 

With his recent international and franchised-based league performances, De Kock can give a vital, robust start to the team's batting. De Kock provides experience, having played 107 IPL matches and scored 3,157 runs, including 23 half-centuries and two centuries.  

Washington Sundar- INR 3.2 Crores (Gujarat Titans)

Washington Sundar was among the most remarkable Indian all-rounders at the auction, and many expected him to sell for a high price. However, he eventually signed with the Gujarat Titans for INR 3.20 crores. GT defeated Lucknow Super Giants in a bidding battle to gain his contract. 

He is a wily off-spinner who has recently been in excellent form. Sundar has played 60 IPL matches and taken 37 wickets at an economy rate of 7.54. He has also scored 378 runs with a strike rate of more than 116, which might help the Titans' lower middle-order batting lineup.

In a thrilling second ODI at the Adelaide Oval, Pakistan’s pace attack, led by Haris Rauf’s phenomenal 5/29, tore through the Australian batting lineup to dismiss them for a mere 163. After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to bowl first—a decision that proved fruitful from the very beginning. Shaheen Shah Afridi struck early, dismissing both Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk, placing Australia on the back foot right away.

The struggles for the Australian batsmen didn’t end there, as Pakistan’s bowling attack continued to put immense pressure. Rauf, who was in sensational form, swiftly picked up his second five-wicket haul in ODIs. He accounted for key players like Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Glenn Maxwell, and Pat Cummins. His relentless pace and precision kept the Australian middle order from settling in, and Pakistan’s bowlers maintained their dominance throughout the innings.

Rizwan and Zampa’s lively DRS exchange

The game also saw a light-hearted moment between Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan and Australian bowler Adam Zampa. Rizwan, who was exceptional behind the stumps with six catches, shared a comical exchange with Zampa. At one point, Rizwan asked, “Did you hear something?” to which Zampa responded, “You are appealing for everything?” Rizwan then inquired, “Should I take the review?” Zampa cheekily replied, “Yes, you should.” Rizwan proceeded with the review, only for the DRS to confirm a "not-out" decision, adding a memorable moment to an otherwise tense match.

See Also: Mohammad Nabi likely to retire from ODI cricket after Champions Trophy

As the wickets kept tumbling, Zampa himself tried to keep Australia’s scoreboard ticking with some resistance. After being dropped by Rizwan, he went on to hit a six and a four off Naseem Shah, pushing his score to 17. But the efforts weren’t enough to save Australia from their collapse, with Pakistan’s disciplined bowling performance and Rizwan’s sharp fielding ensuring the hosts were all out for 163.

Rizwan: Did you hear something?

Zampa: You are appealing for everything?

Rizwan: Should I take the review?

Zampa: Yes, you should

- Rizwan takes the review and DRS says Not-out.

RIZWAN 🤝 ZAMPA 😄🔥 pic.twitter.com/79RE2MaIPN

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 8, 2024

Pakistan’s commanding position in the series

This bowling performance places Pakistan in a commanding position in the three-match series, especially with such a low target to chase. Rauf’s exceptional five-wicket haul, Afridi’s early breakthroughs, and Rizwan’s brilliant performance behind the stumps not only boosted Pakistan’s morale but also exposed Australia’s batting vulnerabilities against high-quality pace bowling. With Pakistan looking to seal the series, Australia now faces the uphill task of rethinking their approach in the final ODI.

Veteran Australia spinner Adam Zampa opted out of IPL 2024 due to being “completely drained” from the last 12 months where he had played a lot of cricket and also he wants to keep his focus on June’s T20 World Cup.

However, Zampa was about to join Rajasthan Royals but withdrew on the eve of the season. He was there in the Royals’ previous campaign. He also played a key role in Australia’s ODI World Cup last year where he played with various injuries. He then briefly stayed for the beginning of the T20I series against India as well.

“I’m completely drained from 2023” – Adam Zampa

However, he also played in the BBL for Melbourne Renegades where he made eight appearances followed by the white-ball series against West Indies and New Zealand as well.

“There are several reasons why the IPL wasn’t for me this year. I think the most important one was the fact that it’s a World Cup year and I’m completely drained from 2023,” Adam Zampa told the Willow Talk podcast. “I did the full IPL last year. Obviously, the World Cup was three months in India as well.

“So I had the best intentions of trying to play the IPL again this year. But once push came to shove, I felt like I just couldn’t really offer the Rajasthan Royals the best version of myself and looking forward to the World Cup, that’s what’s more important to me, that’s for sure,” he again added.

Adam Zampa, who played six games for Royals last season where he took eight wickets, also wasn’t sure how many games he would get this time considering the franchise have Indian spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin as well.

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

Adam Zampa played key roles in Australia’s 3 title wins

“It came down to my decision being I probably need to put my body and my mental health first,” he said. “Then you throw a lot of other things into the equation as well, like the fact that I’ve got a young family. It’s not easy to spend nine weeks in India in my situation where I’m fighting for my spot in the team as well. It’s not like I can say to myself, ‘well, that’s alright I’ve got 14 games to prepare for a World Cup’. I don’t know whether or not that’s actually going to be two games or four games or six games. So I kind of worked out that maybe just to rest, putting my family first, putting my body first, was better for me,” he again shared.

“It’s not an easy decision because you’ve always got that voice in the back of your mind going, ‘pulling out of the IPL, what are people going to say? What happens the next time you want to go to the IPL? Do people kind of paint you with that brush?’. But I wasn’t too fussed about it once I made that decision, I knew it was the right one,” Zampa stated.

However, Adam Zampa will be a key player in Australia’s all three men’s world title wins at the T20 World Cup, the Test Championship and the ODI World Cup as well. Notably, the initial World Cup squad needs to be announced by May 1 but can be freely amended on May 25 as well.

Well, the 16th season of the IPL begins in less than two months. The tournament finally after a three-year hiatus is back to its original home-away avatar. This means that the spinners in the 2023 season will be vital cogs for all franchises.

That’s why teams like SRH and RR were shopping profusely to bag as many spinners as possible in the 2023 auction. However, sadly most of them still might warm the benches for the entire season.

Historically, the spin bowlers in the cash-rich league have been a pot of gold. In IPL’s top 10 highest wicket-takers list, six of them are spinners. Therefore in this list, let’s check out 5 spinners who might unluckily get benched for the entire IPL 2023.

Mitchell Santner

This NZ all-rounder has been associated with CSK since IPL 2018. The southpaw in IPL 2019 also made his debut. But sadly, Santner has never been able to play an entire full IPL season. It was only last year when the cricketer got an extensive opportunity to play 6 matches. So far Santner in the IPL is best known for his heroics against RR in the 2019 season.

Unfortunately, even in IPL 2023, this 30-year-old might barely play a few games. Though the home conditions might entice his participation, CSK still has adequate spinners in their primary front-line XI. By looking at Chennai’s frontline playing XI, firstly the likes of Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theekshana will be its core overseas players. Additionally, even if skipper MSD needs more spin options, the likes of Jadeja, Theekshana and Moon Ali are there to keep it intact.

In the above scenario, the yellow army might also get tempted to have Dwaine Pretorius as its fourth overseas player. The South African whose better known for his power-hitting display might also make the batting more dynamic. Either Devon Conway or Pretorius will eventually be Chennai’s fourth foreign player.

Comprehensively, Santner’s appearance might only become possible if either Ben Stokes or Moeen Ali are missing their participation. Or if Ravindra Jadeja has some fitness issues then CSK might directly replace him with Santner.

Overall for the yellow army, Santner can also be used as a specialist spinner in place of Theekshana. Who knows captain MSD’s wit might also exhibit this Kiwi as a surprise impact player.

Akeal Hosein

In recent times, Akeal Hosein has been WI’s budding T20 freelancer. The bowling all-rounder often is found appearing in different T20 leagues. In the 2023 auction, Akeal also bagged his maiden IPL contract with SRH. The spinner was signed for INR 1 Crore. However, this 29-year-old might mostly warm the benches on his first IPL trip.

Firstly, as the orange army has also bought Adil Rashid, he will be the premier frontline spinner. Barring this, Hyderabad’s other frontline overseas players will be Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips and Aiden Markram. Particularly in Akeal Hosein’s case, the cricketer is more of an adequate back of Washington Sundar.

Even on spin-friendly pitches, someone like Mayank Markande will be ahead of the Caribbean spinner for playing. Markande without disturbing the entire team combination will replace an Indian player easily.

Also with Akeal being a defensive spin option, chances are he might just be a backup reserve. Overall this WI cricketer can excitingly be used as an impact player. His batting skills could be used to up the ante, especially in powerplays.

Adam Zampa

Adam Zampa’s last appearance in the IPL was in the 2020 season. The Aussie spinner in his stint with RCB just played three matches. After that in the mega 2022 auction, Zampa went unsold. But currently, the leg-spinner has fetched a deal of INR 1.5 Cr from the pink army.

Despite having local spinners like R Ashwin and Yuzi Chahal, RR additionally has bought spin options in the 2023 auction. Hence because of this reason, Zampa might not start as Rajasthan’s premier spinner. Also when it comes to RR’s four overseas players, the likes of Buttler, Hetmyer, Boult and Holder will be on the frontline.

Even when it comes to playing an extra spinner, Zampa will lose out to his teammate Murugan Ashwin. The local bowler without harming the team balance will be able to join the company of Ashwin and Chahal. All in all, in IPL 2023, Zampa hardly will be seen donning the RR jersey.

See Also: IPL 2023: Most Valuable IPL Teams (cricketwinner.com)

Noor Ahmad

Coming from the eternal land of leg-spinners, Noor Ahmad was signed by the GT franchise in IPL 2022. In the mega auction, the youngster was picked to be a backup for his senior Rashid Khan. However, the 18-year-old is yet to debut in the cash-rich league. Unfortunately, even in IPL 2023, Noor might not make his appearance.

Firstly as the back up of Rashid Khan, the Afghan skipper barely misses T20 games. Even when it comes to playing as a second or third spinner in the playing XI, Noor has other peers like R Sai Kishore and Jayant Yadav. More importantly, as GT likes playing with an overseas pacer, Noor can only play in place of Rashid.

That’s why in the 2023 season, this Afghan bowler will be a benchwarmer. Hopefully, the franchise will continue to groom him and get him ready like his Afghan senior. However, skipper Pandya on spin-aiding pitches might take a punt with Noor’s left-arm wrist spin.

Murugan Ashwin

This cricketer in IPL 2022 represented the MI franchise. The 32-year-old was signed to be Mumbai’s premier leg-spinner. Some even compared his signing to how Rahul Chahar was picked in the 2018 mega auction. However, Murugan Ashwin had a decent IPL in 2022. Bitterly, MI also released him ahead of the 2023 auction.

Currently, the pink army has now signed this spinner for INR 20 Lakh. As a direct backup of either Ravi Ashwin or Yuzi Chahal, Murugan will be present in the Rajasthan dugout. Probably the only way M Ashwin will feature in the playing XI is when either Ashwin or Chahal aren’t available. Maybe if R Ashwin has some fitness issues only then the leggier will get an entry.

Overall, this bowler is yet to play a full IPL season since his debut in 2016. Optimistically in some way or at some stage, M Ashwin might get to don the RR jersey.