James Anderson Among International Players to Register for IPL Draft

England’s legendary fast bowler James Anderson has surprisingly entered the pool of players to register themselves for the upcoming Indian Premier League draft.

James Anderson, who last played a T20 format game in 2014, has been listed at the base price of INR 1.25 crore. The 42-year-old has never played a single game in IPL and recently retired from international cricket altogether before taking the role of a bowling coach.

It is unlikely that he will hear his name called during the auction considering the competition he will be up against.

Mitchell Starc, IPL’s highest-paid player to date after being acquired by KKR for INR 24.50 crore last season, is back in the pool at a base price of INR 2 crore. England’s Jofra Archer, plagued by injuries since 2023, returns as well meaning the suitors for James Anderson may be thin.

In a surprising development, England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes is absent from the list of 1,574 players registered for the IPL 2025 mega auction. Stokes, who previously opted out of IPL 2024 to manage his workload, had faced a hamstring injury during The Hundred this past August, which side-lined him for two months before his return against Pakistan.

Anderson last played an international T20 in 2009 but has 60 wickets to his name in India across all formats and ample cricketing experience which may sway the teams to take a chance on him.

With up to 25 players allowed per squad, 204 slots are open this season.

Each team’s purse stands at INR 120 crore, with Punjab Kings boasting the largest remaining budget of INR 110.5 crore, followed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru at INR 83 crore.

As the franchises fine-tune their strategies, the stage is set for a thrilling bidding war in Jeddah that could reshape team rosters and redefine IPL dynamics.