Italy-born player among 1,574 for IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah. Joe Burns rumored; is it Thomas Draca? Discover the international lineup & auction insights!
IPL 2025 Mega Auction in Jeddah: Italy-born cricketer joins 1,574 registrants in exciting lineup
Setting the stage for an electrifying Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, scheduled for November 24-25, in Jeddah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has received 1,574 registrations. This promises to be the most historic auction for numerous reasons, not the least 1,574 players turning up for the show as well as the global diversity promised, with an Italy-born cricketer rumoured to be Joe Burns. In this regard, the Italy-registered player is Thomas Draca who has just recently been signed by MI Emirates into the ILT20 League.
The event boasts an astonishing figure of 1,574 registered players-a whopping total that dwarfs last year's figure by a big margin. It read 1,166 for last year. Let's find out in more detail the reasons that are making every cricket lover buzz.
A "Mega" Auction Indeed!
This year, there is an impressive mix of 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas talents, which portrays that the tournament has become really global. Amongst those, 320 are capped players, 1,224 are uncapped players, and 30 are from Associate Nations, which shows an immense diversification in talent and skills.
There are only 204 slots available within the franchise teams in this gigantic pool, so it is going to be a fight-to-the-death for each one as they try to secure an elusive IPL spot. Last year, 333 players made it to the final auction cut, and this year is likely to be much higher because interest has grown from both sides-that of the fans and franchises.
An Italian Presence at IPL 2025
An unexpected jewel in the auction lineup is an Italian player, who had been touted as former Australian cricketer Joe Burns, who has recently pledged his allegiance to Italy. However, sources have confirmed that Italy's representative is indeed Thomas Draca, the player doing great things for MI Emirates in the ILT20 League. He is an indicator of how the IPL continues to open up its vast reach across Associate Nations and the opportunities for cricketing talent that may arise from the most unsuspecting places.
IPL's Previous Mega Auction Success and Expectations for 2025
The previous IPL auction that took place in Dubai was a one-day affair. The day was marked by some spectacular bids for the top players. Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins led the way, with Starc signing up with Kolkata Knight Riders for a staggering Rs 24.75 crore and Cummins going to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.50 crore.
Kolkata Knight Riders won the trophy of IPL 2024 at last by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad. The healthy dose of tough competition and investments in the players will also be seen once again this season in the auction.
Country-wise Player Registrations for IPL 2025 Auction
The player registrations feature an incredible spread across multiple nations:
| Country | Players Registered |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 29 |
| Australia | 76 |
| Bangladesh | 13 |
| Canada | 4 |
| England | 52 |
| Ireland | 9 |
| Italy | 1 |
| Netherlands | 12 |
| New Zealand | 39 |
| Scotland | 2 |
| South Africa | 91 |
| Sri Lanka | 29 |
| UAE | 1 |
| USA | 10 |
| West Indies | 33 |
| Zimbabwe | 8 |
| INDIANS | 1,165 |
