From Venkatesh Iyer to Marco Jansen: Surprise picks expected to break the bank in IPL 2025 auction

With more players than ever going under the hammer in the IPL 2025 auction, there is plenty of value to be found beyond the star names that are the key talking points in the auction pool. While every team will have their eye on names such as Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Arshdeep Singh, every team will also be hungry for a difference-maker they could get at a bargain. Kolkata, May 11 (ANI): Kolkata Knight Riders' Venkatesh Iyer plays a shot in a match against Rajasthan Royals during the Indian Premier League 2023, at Eden Gardens, in Kolkata on Thursday. (ANI photo/Digital Restriction)(Kolkata Knight Riders Twitter)

Here are five players who teams will be keeping an eye on and could see their prices skyrocket in the auction under the right circumstances.

1. Venkatesh Iyer

With plenty of hype surrounding players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana, as all-rounders who bowl seam, Venkatesh Iyer has gone somewhat under the radar as a top-order option. With the ability to provide runs at the top and also contribute 2-3 overs of his pace bowling, Iyer provides the sort of balance and flexibility that any T20 team needs.

With a successful playoff run with Kolkata Knight Riders, teams will want Iyer to be kitting up in their colours, despite a couple of relatively quiet seasons with the bat in Kolkata. A windfall could be on the way for the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, who will be well-suited to nearly every team in the tournament.

In the top order, players like Prithvi Shaw and Rahul Tripathi will also be looking for the right sort of team where their aggressive batting can have an impact.

2. T Natarajan

Despite a phenomenal season with the ball for Sunrisers Hyderabad, T Natarajan was overlooked by the Hyderabad franchise in favour of their glitzier stars. Understated but a fine IPL bowler, Natarajan’s impact in T20 cricket will be well-known amongst the franchises — and with only an uncapped player RTM in play for SRH, Natarajan will be on the radar.

With 65 wickets in the last five IPL seasons, Natarajan provides domestic quality and experience. A terrific pickup for whoever gets their hands on him, with every team in need of death bowling in the high-scoring IPL environment.

3. Marco Jansen

Another left-arm pacer who played for SRH, and another who didn’t make the cut. Jansen never knocked down a reliable place in SRH’s squad in the previous season, but a bumper series against India with both bat and ball will mean he is in the minds of the IPL think-tanks. His T20 bowling has developed really well in recent months, and his powerful batting means he could be seen as a floating pinch-hitter, or potentially even a maverick finisher.

A potential return to Mumbai Indians to accompany Jasprit Bumrah? Or will the pace and bounce of the Chinnaswamy fare better for the Proteas all-rounder? Whatever the case, Jansen is now a dual threat, one who will remind certain franchises of Chris Morris with his frame and range of abilities.

4. Prasidh Krishna

There are a host of domestic pacers worth keeping an eye on, with many teams building a pace battery from scratch. While big names such as Kagiso Rabada and Mitchell Starc will attract big prices, they may well be outdone by domestic talent who will provide roster flexibility.

Prasidh Krishna will be something of a question mark, having missed two full IPL seasons after leading Rajasthan Royals to the IPL final in 2022 with 19 wickets. A tall three-phase bowler, teams know Krishna has the upside, especially given his regular selection to the Indian team despite his injury history.

Beyond the big-name pacers, keep an eye out for him, as well as his teammate Avesh Khan and the Delhi Capitals pair of Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar. Maybe a good future in store for Umran Malik at the right team as well?

5. Jacob Bethell

The newest regular in the England T20 team in recent months, Jacob Bethell has set off like a house on fire in his young career. Averaging 57.66 at a strike-rate of over 167 in his international career so far, Bethell’s teammates in Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Harry Brook are certain to fetch big money in the auction — but the 21-year-old southpaw with shades of Eoin Morgan in his batting will be one for the future who can also provide immediate impact in his first IPL season. He also provides some flexibility with his left-arm spin, which could interest some teams.

From the Australian team, Josh Inglis provides runs and utility as a wicket-keeper, while Glenn Phillips’ turn as a spinner in New Zealand’s Test series win over India could find him some suitors as well.

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