In a surprising development ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, veteran England fast bowler James Anderson has registered for the player pool, marking his first attempt to enter the Indian Premier League (IPL). The auction is set to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Anderson, who last played a T20 match in 2014 and has never participated in the IPL, has set his base price at INR 1.25 crore.

James Anderson’s Unexpected Move

Anderson, 42, is renowned for being England’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. He retired from international cricket earlier this year after a distinguished career spanning two decades. Currently serving as a bowling coach for the England national team, his decision to enter the IPL auction has raised eyebrows, given his long absence from the T20 format. Despite this, his vast experience and skill could make him an attractive option for franchises looking to strengthen their bowling lineups.

Notable Absences and Other Registrations

Anderson’s registration comes alongside the news that England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has opted out of the IPL 2025 auction. Stokes, who last played in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before withdrawing due to injury, will not be eligible to participate in future auctions unless he registers again next year.The auction list features a total of 1,574 players, including prominent Indian stars like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, all of whom have listed themselves at the highest base price of INR 2 crore. Other notable players in this category include Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and pacer Mohammed Shami, who is recovering from an ankle injury.

Franchise Strategies and Auction Dynamics

With each franchise allowed to retain a maximum of 25 players, there are 204 slots available for bidding during the auction. Teams are expected to strategize around their budgets, with Punjab Kings (PBKS) leading with a purse of INR 110.5 crore after retaining only two uncapped players. The introduction of Right-to-Match (RTM) cards this season allows franchises to retain players by matching the highest bid, adding another layer of strategy to the auction dynamics.

Also READ: Here’s the purse remaining with each team for IPL 2025 mega auction

Here’s the detailed list for the IPL 2025 Auction:

• Capped Indians (48 players)
• Capped Internationals (272 players)
• Uncapped Indians who were a part of previous IPL seasons (152 players)
• Uncapped Internationals who were a part of previous IPL seasons (3 players)
• Uncapped Indians (965 players)
• Uncapped Internationals (104 players)

Country-wise breakdown of the 409 overseas players

• Afghanistan: 29
• Australia: 76
• Bangladesh: 13
• Canada: 4
• England: 52
• Ireland: 9
• Italy: 1
• Netherlands: 12
• New Zealand: 39
• Scotland: 2
• South Africa: 91
• Sri Lanka: 29
• UAE: 1
• USA: 10
• West Indies: 33
• Zimbabwe: 8

Also READ: No Rohit Sharma or MS Dhoni! Here’s the best playing XI after IPL 2025 retention

For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.