The long list of players registered for the IPL 2025 auction has been finalised. Here's a look back at some international stars who registered for the auction, but were never picked.
Brian Lara
Trinidadian great Brian Lara entered the IPL auction ahead of the 2011 season, at which point he had already been retired for three years. He had the auction's highest base price at $400,000, but failed to attract any bids. Lara had, however, been a part of the defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007, captaining the Mumbai Champs.
James Anderson
Anderson went unsold in the IPL auction ahead of the 2012 season, the first time he registered for the auction. He was in the second tier for base price ($300,000) along with Alastair Cook, Mitchell Johnson and Mahela Jayawardene, but failed to attract any bids.
Now a bonafide legend of Test cricket, he retired from international cricket earlier this year, but Anderson may play in the IPL yet as he has registered for the latest auction.
Mushfiqur Rahim
Bangladesh keeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim signed up for the IPL auction on three occasions – 2016, 2019 and 2020, but failed to ever garner a bid. His overseas franchise T20 experience remains limited, with just three matches in the Pakistan Super League. He has represented eight different teams in the Bangladesh Premier League, though.
Nathan Lyon
One of the greatest Test bowlers of his generation, Nathan Lyon tried dabbling in the IPL in the last decade, on multiple occasions. Lyon signed up for the IPL auction for the first time in 2014, two years after his ODI debut and three after his Test debut. Lyon registered for the IPL auction every year since then until 2018, but never received a bid. He has not entered since then.
Vernon Philander
One of the most fearsome seam bowlers in Test cricket over the last decade, Vernon Philanedr never played in the IPL. This wasn't due to a lack of trying, though. Philander registered for the auction ahead of the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016 season, but not a single team bid for him in those six years.
Rangana Herath
Rangana Herath's most recent cricketing achievement was helping New Zealand to a spectacular series whitewash over India in India. He also won the 2014 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka, but never played in the IPL. Like Philander and Tamim, Herath registered for the auction on multiple occasions – in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 – but could not fetch a bid.
Read more: IPL 2025 auction: How many players have registered from each country?
Alastair Cook
Former England Test captain Alastair Cook is not known for his limited-overs prowess, but he did venture into the IPL. Cook registered ahead of the 2012 season, with a base price of $300,000, but went unsold. It was the first and only time he registered.
Jonathan Trott
Now the soon-to-be coach of Pretoria Capitals in SA20, Jonathan Trott did try to play in the IPL as well. He signed up for the auction in 2010 and 2011, and was even shortlisted in the former but eventually was unable to secure a contract.
Graeme Swann
Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann registered for the auction in 2010, 2011 and 2012, putting himself in the highest base price bracket ($400,000) in the last of those, alongside VVS Laxman, Sreesanth and Brendon McCullum. There were, unfortunately, no takers.
Also read: Latest ICC Test rankings: Pant nears career best, Kohli slips to lowest rank in ten years
Monty Panesar
Swann's long-time spin partner in Test cricket, Monty Panesar, also put his hand up for the 2010 and 2011 IPL auctions, but did not receive any bids.
Kevin O'Brien
Irish all-rounder Kevin O'Brien registered for the 2012 IPL auction with a base price of $50,000, a year after his magnificent century had helped Ireland defeat England at the 2011 50-over World Cup. He did not recieve any bids, though. O'Brien did try again in 2013, 2015 and 2016, but came up empty each time.
Paul Stirling
O'Brien's compatriot, opening batter Paul Stirling, can be as dangerous as any in T20 cricket when he gets going. He registered for the IPL auction once, in 2023, but did not attract any bids.
Neil Wagner
Kiwi left-arm fast bowler Neil Wagner registered for the IPL auction ahead of the 2022 season, but there were no takers for his services.
Tamim Iqbal
Bangladesh opening batter Tamim Iqbal went unsold in five different IPL auctions – ahead of the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016 seasons. Although he has never been picked at an auction, Tamim was signed by Pune Warriors India as a replacement player for James Hopes in the 2012 season, and re-signed by the franchise the following year as well. He never played for them, though.
Mohammad Amir & Umar Akmal
The Pakistani duo of Mohammad Amir and Umar Akmal were not part of the IPL's inaugural season like some of their compatriots, but both registered for the 2010 auction. None of the franchises bid for any players from Pakistan.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
