Wicketkeeper batters are always in demand due to their dual value. Among those who went unsold in the auction, we take a look at three who could come in as replacement players in IPL 2025.
A quality wicketkeeper batter is a key component of having a strong team, especially in the shorter format. Gone are the days when wicketkeepers could get away with being poor batters. As the game has evolved, batters who can keep the wickets have surpassed the keepers who can bat a bit.
In the Indian Premier League, we have witnessed the likes of Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, and Heinrich Klaasen earning big bucks. The most recent IPL auction held in November had a surprisingly large pool of top wicketkeeper batters such as Pant, Jos Buttler, KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Phil Salt, Josh Inglis, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history, with Lucknow Super Giants securing him for INR 27 cr while Buttler went to Gujarat Titans for INR 15.75 cr. Delhi Capitals picked Rahul for 14 cr while Royal Challengers Bengaluru bagged Salt for 11.50. Ishan Kishan (11.25) and Jitesh Sharma (11) also got pretty good deals.
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With such a stacked pool of wicketkeeper batters, a few went unsold but they have a chance to still get into IPL 2025 as replacement players. Here’s a look at some of the overseas glovemen in with a chance to make the IPL.
Ben Duckett’s first outing in T20 cricket in India on Wednesday didn’t go as he would’ve liked but he remains a top option as a potential IPL replacement. The Englishman is at the peak of his career, scoring runs everywhere across formats and at a fast rate.
The left-hand batter who can bat at the top or in the middle order, and can keep wickets, Duckett checks a lot of boxes. He had a pretty good campaign for Melbourne Stars in the BBL recently, where he scored 243 runs from seven innings at an average of 34.71 and strike rate of 154.77.
A couple of good showings in the ongoing five-match series against India could put his name on the top of the franchises’ radar for IPL 2025.
Jonny Bairstow is in the twilight of his career and the England team moving on from him in all three formats didn’t help his cause in the IPL auction. However, he still remains a very attractive replacement option for the upcoming IPL 2025.
The 35-year old has a good experience of playing in Indian conditions and his overall record in the IPL doesn’t look bad. He has over 1500 runs at an average of 34.54 and strike rate of 144.45. Last year, he played 11 matches for Punjab Kings, scoring 298 runs at 153 strike rate, including a century.
Bairstow is currently playing for Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, where he is the top run-scorer for his side. He has made 143 runs from four innings batting at number four at a strike rate of 139 while averaging 47.
Shai Hope played nine matches for Delhi Capitals in the previous season of the IPL, in which he made 183 runs. He scored at a pretty good rate of 150 but wasn’t able to produce big scores, averaging only 22.87 with a high score of 41.
Understandably, IPL teams weren’t impressed with this and he didn’t get a contract for this season. However, Hope could still be a very good pick as a replacement. He is a good player of spin and is a regular wicketkeeper.
Hope is representing Dubai Capitals in the ongoing ILT20, where he is leading the batting chart. He has scored 213 runs in five innings at an average of 53 and strike rate of 146, including a century and a half century.
