The IPL 2025 (Indian Premier League) turned out to be a cracking tournament with a lot of incredible performances, which have impressed the fans and the experts. Though some major picks in the auction have lived up to all the expectations, some players have failed to do so this season.
The 2025 mega auction saw some interesting decisions made by the franchises, where they put a lot of money on some players. The mega auction saw some players breaking the ₹25 crore barrier as well, which hyped up the players who were expected to live up to the huge price tag. While the big prices result in a lot of publicity for the players, it also puts a lot of pressure on them.
Players who have performed well in the past have also made it onto this list, since their performances this season have been underwhelming compared to the high standards they have set for themselves. It is time to discuss which of these players are among the worst picks of IPL 2025 this season and ended up being one of the weak links of the franchises.
Here are the worst picks of every franchise in IPL 2025:
10. Liam Livingstone (RCB/Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
There is no doubt that some of the tactics and decisions by RCB in the auction worked out well in the end despite the criticism, and they went on to win the title as well. However, the decision to buy England all-rounder Liam Livingstone for INR 8.75 crore had put the franchise in a spot of bother.
They backed him for 10 games, which probably turned out to be the worst decision by the management. The 31-year-old middle-order batter and occasional spinner went on to score only 112 runs at an average of 16 and took just a couple of wickets.
9. Glenn Maxwell (PBKS/Punjab Kings)
There was a lot of hype behind Glenn Maxwell’s homecoming to the Punjab franchise. However, it turned out to be a disastrous season for the ‘Big Show’. Maxwell played seven games for PBKS and only scored 48 runs at an average of eight, with a strike rate under 100.
The Australian all rounder was later ruled out of the tournament due to a finger injury during the round-robin stage. Despite Maxwell’s disastrous season, the Punjab Kings still had an incredible campaign, finishing as the IPL finalists this year under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer.
8. Deepak Chahar (MI/Mumbai Indians)
Though it was a decent season for the Mumbai Indians (MI), there were some players in the auction whom they put a lot of trust in but who could not live up to expectations. Deepak Chahar was picked as a pacer who could bowl some decent spells with the new ball. Though Chahar did show some glimpses of strong performances, the MI franchise expected more from him.
Notably, Chahar was bought by the Mumbai-based franchise at a high price of INR 9.25 crore. The 32-year-old Agra-born pacer took 11 wickets from the 14 games he played at an average of 34.18 and had a high economy of 9.17.
7. Rashid Khan (GT/Gujarat Titans)
The Gujarat Titans had a fairly good season with some top batting and bowling performances. However, what led to their downfall was the underwhelming displays from some key players. One of them was Afghan star wrist-spinner Rashid Khan, who was also the most expensive player in the franchise, being retained for INR18 crore.
It is very rare to see a world-class player like Rashid underperform. Unfortunately, this was the season the GT fans got to experience it. The 26-year-old only managed to take nine wickets in 15 games at an average of 57.11 and had an economy of 9.34.
6. Jake Fraser-McGurk (DC/Delhi Capitals)
This was one of the weirdest seasons for the Delhi Capitals (DC), where at one point they were among the favourites to win the tournament, but suddenly had a downfall in the second half. Some players within the Delhi franchise were backed to the limit but failed to make vital contributions. One of the players was the Australian opener, Jake Fraser-McGurk.
The Australian, who was one of their upcoming stars last season, had one of the best strike rates of the year. However, he failed to make much of an impact this season. Jake-McGurk played six games and scored only 55 runs at an average of 9.16 and had a strike rate of 105.76.
5. Mohammed Shami (SRH/Sunrisers Hyderabad)
The Sunrisers Hyderabad might have had a powerful batting line-up, but their bowling attack struggled a lot this year. One of the bowlers who faced the music was veteran pacer and 2022 IPL champion and the 2023 Purple Cap winner, Mohammed Shami.
Shami was roped into the squad for INR 10 crore but had one of his worst seasons in the tournament. The Bengal pacer could only take six wickets in the nine matches he played at an average of 56.16 and had a high economy of 11.23.
4. Rishabh Pant (LSG/Lucknow Super Giants)
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had put all their trust in Rishabh Pant in the 2025 edition of the IPL. The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter was not only the most expensive player in the mega auction but was also named the captain of the franchise. Notably, Pant was bought by the Lucknow-based franchise for a mind-boggling price of INR 27 crore.
However, it was a disastrous season for the T20 world champion. Though the LSG fans did get a moment to celebrate when he scored a century in the last game, the underwhelming stats cannot be ignored. Pant could only manage to score 269 runs in 14 games at an average of 24.45 and had a strike rate of 133.16.
3. Venkatesh Iyer (KKR/Kolkata Knight Riders)
Speaking of expensive flops of IPL 2025, another name that makes this list is Kolkata Knight Riders’ middle order batter, Venkatesh Iyer. The Madhya Pradesh-based batter was one of the top performers for Kolkata last season. As a result, the franchise showed a lot of trust in him by buying him for a hefty price of INR 23.75 crore.
However, Iyer barely played a game, and he failed whenever he got the opportunity. The 30-year-old batter scored 142 runs at an average of 20.28 this season, with only one 50+ score. It is safe to say this was one of the worst picks by the defending champions going into the tournament.
2. Shimron Hetmyer (RR/Rajasthan Royals)
The Rajasthan Royals franchise might have had their moments in some matches, but they missed that clutch player who could not only take the game deep but also finish matches. That responsibility was given to the Guyana-based middle order batter, Shimron Hetmyer.
Notably, the West Indian was retained for a price of INR 11 crore. However, the 28-year-old West Indian prodigy could not live up to expectations, only managing to score 239 runs at an average of 21.72 with just one half-century to his name. Hetmyer was expected to be a match-winner but barely got going in the matches this season.
1. Ravichandran Ashwin (CSK/Chennai Super Kings)
This was officially the worst season for the Chennai Super Kings, as they finished at the bottom of the IPL points table. Although there were a lot of questionable picks made by the franchise, one of the biggest disappointments was the star spin-bowling all rounder, Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ashwin was bought for INR 9.75 crore in the auction, and the fans were expecting a perfect homecoming. In the end, it was one of their worst decisions, as the 38-year-old Indian legend managed only seven wickets at an average of 40.42 and an economy of 9.12. He also managed just 33 runs with the bat.
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