IPL 2025 Auction: Demand for more Indians as players and captains is good sign

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Now that the dust, grime, and even sand have settled over the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, cricket fans will assess how the 10 teams stack up for the 2025 edition. Firstly, for this auction to be taken all the way to the deserts of Saudi Arabia was defining.

It is well known, that Saudia is a hot destination not just because of the weather but also because the oil-rich nation now wants to be seen as a tourist destination as well as one which promotes business and trade.

To watch auctioneer Mallika Sagar, despite her faux pas, conduct the auction, with Sheikhs also standing next to her was a rare sight. Common perception about Saudi Arabia is conservatism, and how the hijab (head scarf) is mandatory. No, it is not for the IPL auction as witnessed on Sunday and Monday.

Riyadh definitely needs to be complimented for putting on a super act. Images beamed from the auction on Jio Cinema made it clear the growth of the IPL continues to rock and confound the global sports audience. The viewership figures were soaring, as being flashed on the TV screen or cell phone, depending on where one watched it.

As a sporting nation aspiring to host big-ticket events, Saudia is the go-to destination. They have the iconic CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) playing for them in the football league, they spend big bucks on the LIV Golf, which is seen as a rival to the PGA Tour. And yet, Saudi Arabia will not stop, after hosting the WTA finals recently.

They want to host a FIFA World Cup in the future as well as a Summer Olympics. And why not, Saudi Arabia is a gracious host. The IPL teams and all the players who got picked are smiling, after crazy sums have been splurged on marquee players.

Plus, there is still room to pick grand old performer Ajinkya Rahane as well as a young kid from Bihar, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Rahane went late at night to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a Monday night accelerated auction of sorts which saw 'leftovers' getting a last chance.

Make no mistake, as one who still plays serious first-class cricket and scores runs heavily, Rahane is a brilliant buy. He will be the right man to guide KKR in rebuilding as a player with immense experience. Even if KKR decides to go with Venkatesh Iyer as skipper, Rahane will be all brains to ideate. That's his persona.

Back to the big sales like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul, officially, there has been no announcement if these three men will lead Lucknow Super Giants, Punjab Kings, and Delhi Capitals.

After spending so much money on them, franchises will definitely want to showcase them as leaders since the IPL team owners are not doing charity. Each of these names will attract sponsorship revenue for the three teams, something which will be written more in detail by those who cover the business angle of sports.

At the same time, there is also a certain intrigue around RCB, as no captain has been named as yet. For those who love King Virat Kohli, more so after his 30th Test ton in the Perth Test, he is still a rock star.

As stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah said after the latest Test win, Indian cricket needs Kohli more than Kohli needs to play and prove himself. So, with someone like DK (Dinesh Karthik) as the loquacious face of RCB and speaking after the auction, it is clear he will have a lot to do with who becomes captain.

Kohli, in any case, does not need that skipper tag as he still ideates, sets the field, and helps the team. How he was pepping up the Indian team was defining in Perth. It goes to show he is a team man to the core and RCB is his second home, not London, as some social media creeps harp on, repeatedly.

One thing this IPL auction has taught us all is how the fetish for foreign players is going down. There was a hangover of sorts, and it was big names from abroad who were more important.

No, that thought is over. If not, David Warner, Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Kane Williamson, and many more names going unsold would have raised eyebrows. At the same time, some like Umesh Yadav, Piyush Chawla, and a few more well-known names from the previous IPL editions also went unsold.

Nothing bad to feel about, since the younger generation is there to take over. Many may have missed a few 'buys,' how players who did well in the state premier leagues, be it from Delhi, Karnataka, or even Tamil Nadu got noticed.

Someone like T. Natarajan, who is the oldest exponent of tennis ball cricket and is now an IPL regular, still plays in the TNPL. So does R. Ashwin, at this ripe age. This is the real deal, how the IPL has sparked off smaller state leagues where performances matter and also get noticed. After all, everything gets telecast live these days.

For those who would have gone through the list of medium pacers picked, it's nice to see there are takers still for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, and many more. The craze for bowlers who can swing and seam and be effective in the IPL is not just the preserve of overseas bowlers.

Will there be a heartburn of sorts that Indians are now more in demand? This is a legitimate question. The IPL auction, spread over two days, has offered plenty of answers. And, please, do not slam Mallika Sagar if she had committed a few faux pas at the auction. She has broken a massive stereotype at the age of 49 in Riyadh.