Why IPL 2025 may fail to enthrall cricket lovers like IPL 2024?

Barring few retained players, all the franchises will have a new look team for the 2025 edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League after the recent mega auction. Except few teams, others had almost a settled unity in IPL 2024 as the franchises had invested a lot on their important players to lend a balance to their team combination. 

However, after the auction, most of the teams will find it difficult to find their earlier balance and as a result it may take some sheen out of IPL 2025. Fans may not witness many keenly contested matches and the mega event may not enthrall the cricket crazy fans in its upcoming edition like it did in the previous edition.

All the teams have reset again due to the mega auction which was an exhausting exercise. Moreover, it is unfair to the sides that performed well in the previous editions of the cash-rich league.

Read Also: IPL 2025 mega auction: Why did Prithvi Shaw remain unsold?

One of the disadvantages of a mega auction is that the more successful teams had to release many of their star players in the market as not everyone can be retained. Moreover, they were unable to buy them back since their prices are elevated being the star attraction in a winning side. As a result, they don’t have the same quality in their ranks anymore and have to wait for upcoming mini auctions to fill the gaps in their squad. 

Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals had to suffer because of the reason in the 2022 mega auction and Delhi never really recovered from it.  As per some experts, the auction is like punishing the good students in the class for scoring good marks in the previous term. The same trend also continued in this mega auction as well.  Formidable teams like Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have lost some of their star players and strength in the process for the upcoming IPL cycle.

Because of the strange rules, Rajasthan Royals have lost their attacking and most consistent batter Jos Buttler. There is also a big question mark over their bowling unit. The team that was a potent force to reckon with in the previous cycles could really struggle to impress in the coming edition.

Though Gujarat Titans have a strong top order, they could struggle in the middle order due to lack of experienced batters. They don’t have also too many death bowling options. 

Though KKR have done well in the auction by obtaining older players, they have missed out on a few key elements of their winning squad in 2024. Being unable to get back Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana, they have left the number four spot vacant in the batting line up. Their batting power on paper has gone down a bit.

LSG sought an all-India bowling attack and invested their overseas slots in the batting department. However, their opening combination looks unclear despite a powerful middle order.

LSG’s batting is over dependent on three batters- Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant and David Miller. Moreover, they lack specialist cricketers in the team that is abundant with so many all-rounders, and it may backfire at times.