Ben Stokes prioritised international cricket over IPL as he opted out of the 2025 mega auction. Here's why the England skipper made this tough decision.

By Daisy Atino Earlier the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked all the IPL franchises to confirm their list of retained players by October 31

The all-rounder had skipped the IPL 2024 season to manage his workload. He entered the IPL 2025 mega auction but went unsold. Shakib’s name wasn’t even brought up in the auction.

The IPL 2025 Auctions saw that some of the former captains not make their way back to the previous franchises. KKR did bid for Shreyas Iyer but backed out and allowed him to join PBKS in the end.

The IPL 2025 mega auction unfolded in Jeddah over two days on 24 and 25 November, with teams picking from a shortlist of 577 players. Lucknow Super Giants made history, securing Rishabh Pant for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore.

The heavy English flavour to RCB squad is provided by Livingstone, Bethell and Salt. Their superstar, Kohli, could be seen captaining the unit once again as RCB chase the elusive crown.

In the third edition of the Democratic Review System, we try to give our take on who actually won the IPL 2025 Auction in Jeddah. All the 10 teams splashed cash during the 2-day event to fill their spots for the new season.

Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal ahead of the mega auction.

Several prominent cricketers, including David Warner and Kane Williamson, went unsold at the recent IPL auction in Jeddah. An 'Unsold XI' featuring these players boasts remarkable talent and can rival any of the 10 teams.