IPL 2025: Who is Thomas Draca, The First Italian Player to Register For IPL Mega Auction?

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Thomas Draca is the first Italian player to register his name for the Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction, entering the upcoming IPL 2025 Mega Auction at the base price of Rs 30 Lakhs.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday (November 5) announced the IPL Mega Auction will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 24 and 25. In the announcement, the board also revealed that 1574 players have registered their names for the big auction.

Among the 1574 player registration, one thing that stood out was an Italian player registering for the IPL Player Auction. The Italain Draca is set to be the sole representative from the country in the auction. But, the European talent has played in other T20 leagues.

Who is Thomas Draca?

Born on October 23, 2000, Draca made his international debut in June 2024. The 24-year-old is primarily a pacer, but Draca has lodged his name in the list of all-rounders category with a base price of Rs. 30 Lakhs in the upcoming auction.

The Italian speedster made his international bow against Luxembourg, registering figures of 2/15 in his four overs. His side went on to win this match by 77 runs.

The nippy pacer has so far played four matches for his national side in the shortest format of the game where he has managed to scalp 8 wickets with the best of 3/9 vs Isle of Man.

The fast bowler recently competed for the Brampton Wolves in the Global T20 Canada 2024 and surprised everyone with his exceptional performance. Draca fined as the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with a total of 11 wickets in six matches, averaging 10.63 and with an economy rate of 6.88.

He delivered his top performance of the season against Surrey by taking 3 wickets for 18 runs in four overs, helping his team defend 198 where his team secured a 59-run victory.

He also recorded figures of 3/10 and 3/30 against Mississauga and Surrey respectively which aided his team in securing second place on the points table. Brampton was eliminated in the second qualifier of the competition following a five-wicket loss to Toronto Nationals.

His performances in internationals and GT20 Canada, also earned himself a spot in the MI Emirates squad for the upcoming International League T20, organized by the Emirates Cricket Board.