From Jofra Archer’s late inclusion to a potential debut for James Anderson

Matt Roller22-Nov-2024Big money for big gunsNone of the 10 overseas players retained ahead of the mega-auction were Englishmen, and the country’s leading white-ball specialists could therefore be among the highest earners this weekend. Jos Buttler is foremost among them after seven successful seasons with Rajasthan Royals, while Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran and Phil Salt can all anticipate substantial deals.At 34, Buttler’s recent history of calf injuries may put teams off but his IPL record is stellar: he averages 38.10 while striking at 147.52 and has seven centuries in the league, second only to Virat Kohli. Salt, meanwhile, is certain for his first big IPL payday, after starring in Kolkata Knight Riders’ title win last year but only as a replacement signing.Curran will likely take a major paycut after two years on INR 18.5 crore (£1.75 million) at Punjab Kings but should still attract strong interest, not least after displaying his leadership potential last year, while Livingstone has returned to form in the last three months after battling injuries for two seasons. Kings’ new coach, Ricky Ponting, could re-sign either player – or both – via the Right-to-Match (RTM) mechanism.Brook’s point to proveEngland’s multi-format players all weighed up their availability for IPL 2025, with a rare opportunity for a break between the Champions Trophy and a home Test series against India starting in June. Jamie Smith, Joe Root and Ben Stokes are among those who opted out of the auction but Harry Brook decided to enter, and is said to be determined to prove himself in India.Sunrisers Hyderabad’s decision to spend INR 13.25 crore (£1.3 million) on Brook looked a wise decision when he hit an unbeaten hundred in the fourth innings of his IPL career in 2023, but he only passed 20 once more in his maiden season. He has not been back to India since, having missed England’s Test tour and the subsequent IPL earlier this year on compassionate leave.Brook has already played 80 matches for England across formats, but only five of them have been against India – all T20Is, including two T20 World Cup semi-finals. Returning to the IPL will provide him with the chance not only to face some of their best bowlers before his first Test series against them, but also to squash the theory that he is vulnerable on turning pitches.Fast bowlers’ workloadsEngland face a challenge to manage Jofra Archer’s availability•Getty ImagesJofra Archer’s 11th-hour addition to the auction shortlist was the result of lengthy negotiations with the ECB, with new regulations making it much harder for boards to have total control over their players. Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood were both withdrawn at late notice last season to manage their workloads, but the same move would now result in a two-year ban.Rob Key, England’s managing director, will therefore be watching on nervously as Archer, Atkinson and Brydon Carse go under the hammer in Jeddah, with all three seamers in contention to play significant roles in England’s five-Test series against India and Australia next year.Matthew Potts and Olly Stone are also in the auction, though appear less likely to be picked up, while Wood’s name does not feature on the shortlist.Is Bethell a bolter?Jacob Bethell only turned 21 last month but is the most exciting young player in English cricket, backing up his takedown of Adam Zampa in his second T20I innings with two unbeaten half-centuries against West Indies. He is now in New Zealand with England’s Test squad and is an injury away from becoming an all-format international.Bethell already has a contract with Paarl Royals – Rajasthan’s affiliate – in the SA20 in the new year and at INR 1.25 crore (£118,000) could be seen as a long-term investment in the auction. He has a desirable all-round skillset as a left-handed finisher and left-arm fingerspinner, and his athleticism would make him an ideal substitute fielder.The potential issue for England is that Bethell could find himself spending two months hardly playing at the IPL and missing out on the opportunity to learn his game as a red-ball player. He is seen as a long-term Test prospect, but is yet to score a professional hundred in any format and only averages 25.44 in first-class cricket to date.Anderson’s entryJames Anderson hasn’t played T20 in a decade•Getty ImagesIt really ought to be a non-starter. James Anderson has not played a T20 match in the last decade and was struggling to keep up with the format even then, leaking 52 runs from four wicketless overs in the 2014 Blast final. He has not bowled with a white ball in a competitive match since 2019, and has not played in any format since his farewell Test in July.But there remains an outside chance that, at 42, Anderson will earn his first IPL deal this weekend, having entered the auction at a base price of INR 1.25 crore (£118,000). Moeen Ali was only half-joking when he suggested that he wanted to sign him in the Hundred last summer, and bowlers like Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have shown there can still be a role for a powerplay specialist in the IPL – even in the Impact Player era.Franchises would be paying Anderson for his experience and mentorship more than his skills. Perhaps the best route to doing so would be to hope he goes unsold in the auction, then negotiate a deal with him to become an additional member of coaching staff: that would avoid using up one of eight overseas spots, and avoid his wages coming from the playing salary cap.England-qualified players in IPL 2025 mega-auction
INR 2 crore: (£189,000) Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow, Phil Salt, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Ben Duckett, James Vince, Moeen Ali, Will Jacks, Tom Banton, Gus Atkinson, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills
INR 1.5 crore: (£141,000) Sam Billings, Jamie Overton, Dan Worrall, Matthew Potts, John Turner
INR 1.25 crore: (£118,000) Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, James Anderson
INR 1 crore: (£95,000) Brydon Carse, Dan Lawrence, David Payne
INR 75 lakh: (£71,000) Ollie Pope, Richard Gleeson, Reece Topley, Luke Wood, Dan Mousley, Olly Stone
INR 50 lakh: (£47,000) Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Leus du Plooy, Michael Pepper, Benny Howell