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Record-breaking buys and heartbreak for South African cricketers at IPL 2025 mega-auction

Record-breaking buys and heartbreak for South African cricketers at IPL 2025 mega-auction
A list of the South Africans sold and contracted to IPL next season.
Keanan Hemmonsbey
By Keanan Hemmonsbey
26 Nov 2024
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Fourteen South Africans saw a few extra zeros added to their bank accounts after a successful IPL mega-auction for the nation’s cream of the crop.

In total, 14 South Africans found a new Indian Premier League (IPL) home after two extensive days of mega-auction bidding in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The 2025 edition of the IPL will run from 14 March 2025 until the final, scheduled for 25 May. That’s nine consecutive weeks of franchise cricket action with no international cricket scheduled at that time.

The extended tournament had an equally drawn-out auction, too, taking place over six sessions and two days to bid off 577 cricketers, most of whom put their names down in hope rather than certainty.

The mega-auction happens every three years, with mini-auctions happening in the years in between.

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant emerged as the costliest buy, breaking the record of biggest price tag with a pay-cheque of a staggering R60-million from the Lucknow Super Giants.

Ottniel Baartman was one of several players not snapped up by the franchises. (Photo: Sportpics)



The two South Africans most likely to challenge Pant’s massive price were Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs, but they were retained prior to the mega-auction by the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals respectively.

Klaasen will receive the biggest payout among South African players in the upcoming IPL season with a cool R49.3-million. While Stubbs is a rung lower than Kagiso Rabada — the subject of a fierce bid before Gujarat Titans purchased him — who receivedc R21.4-million for nine weeks of cricket.

South Africa’s relationship with the IPL by virtue of the SA20 tournament has also paid dividends for a few players.

Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton and Kwena Maphaka were all picked up by the franchises they represent in the SA20.

Leading run scorer


Breetzke, who was one of the leading men with the bat for Durban’s SuperGiants in the SA20, will run out for the Lucknow counterparts in the IPL. Rickelton will play for Mumbai Indians after finishing as the leading run scorer in the SA20 last season, having represented MI Cape Town.

And although 18-year-old pace sensation Kwena Maphaka hasn’t had a chance to get on to the field for Paarl Royals yet, he was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for R3.2-million, having played two matches for Mumbai Indians last season.

Ryan Rickelton will play for the Mumbai Indians. (Photo: Sportzpics)



Anrich Nortje was still one of the bigger attractions at the auction, despite struggling in franchise cricket since returning to injury at the start of the year, including a stuttering IPL campaign for Delhi Capitals last season.

The thunderbolt flinger was picked up for R13.9-million by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

David Miller (Lucknow Super Giants) and Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings) were the other big money collectors at the auction, going for R16-million and R14.9-million respectively.

A list of the South Africans sold and contracted to IPL next season.


No bidders


Unfortunately, not every South African who put their name up for bidding found a buyer. Dewald Brevis, who spent the past few seasons with Mumbai Indians, didn’t find a suitor this time around.

Nandre Burger, who has struggled with injury throughout his career, the latest of which is a stress fracture in his back, also did not find a bidder, having spent last season with the Rajasthan Royals.

A big omission among South African cricketers was stalwart left-arm tweaker Keshav Maharaj. However, if there’s one role India has a plethora of players to cover it is spin bowling. Even experienced Indian leg break bowler Piyush Chawla, who has nearly 200 wickets in the IPL, went unsold.

Maharaj’s international spin bowling partner, Tabraiz Shamsi, also failed to find an IPL home.

Patrick Kruger and Nqaba Peter and Ottniel Baartman, who have found varying levels of success at international level in the past season, all heard their names being called out but no bids followed.

List of unsold South African players:



  • Rassie van der Dussen

  • Nandre Burger

  • Wayne Parnell

  • Keshav Maharaj

  • Duan Jansen

  • Dewald Brevis

  • Kyle Verreynne

  • Ottniel Baartman

  • Wiaan Mulder

  • Nqaba Peter

  • Patrick Kruger

  • Corbin Bosch

  • Tabraiz Shamsi

  • Dwaine Pretorius

  • Junior Dala

  • Daryn Dupavillon


Old and young


The 10 IPL sides are allowed squad sizes of between 18 and 25 players with a maximum of eight overseas players permitted per team.

Teams, therefore, build their squads around players with a variety of experience levels and nurture them for future editions of the tournament.

Incredibly, 13-year-old Indian batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi was purchased by Rajasthan Royals. The teenager smacked a 58-ball century against Australia under-19 for India under-19 in a four-day game less than two months ago.

The Rajasthan Royals bought the left-handed swashbuckler for R2.1-million.

On the other end of the spectrum, 40-year-old former Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis will also be returning to the IPL after captaining the Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season. This time around, the Delhi Capitals picked up the experienced man for R4.2-million.

South Africa-born players Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips (who both now represent New Zealand), as well as Brydon Carse (England) and Bevon-John Jacobs, who plays his domestic cricket in New Zealand, were also picked up at the auction. DM

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