The IPL 2025 Mega Auction brought excitement, surprises, and tough decisions as franchises built their dream teams. While many players grabbed big contracts, some talented cricketers went unsold, leaving fans wondering what could have been. In this article, we create the best XI of these unsold players—talented stars who might have missed a spot in the tournament but still have the potential to shine on any stage. Let's look at these unique lineups and enjoy their skills. Prithvi Shaw Image Source: Associated Press Prithvi Shaw was also unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, and that arrived as a shock. In fact, the Delhi Capitals opener was not retained by the franchise that ended the 6-year association with DC. Despite setting his base price only at Rs 75 lakh, no franchises showed an interest in him. Once considered the future of Indian cricket, Shaw's career has taken a downward turn. In 79 IPL matches, Shaw scored 1892 runs at a strike rate of 147.47. Also Read | Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Biography: A Promising Uncapped Talent in IPL David Warner Image Source: BCCI It was the end of an era when David Warner, a name that has been synonymous with IPL veterans, could not attract any bids. Warner announced his retirement across the formats earlier this year for Australia but continued playing league cricket. Warner was not retained by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the auction and set his base price at Rs 2 crore. After being unsold in the first round, he did not return even for the accelerated round of Jeddah. Warner has captaincy credentials and took SRH to win the IPL title in 2016. He is also the fourth-highest run scorer in history, with 6565 runs in his name. He could open and lead the team as well. Mayank Agarwal Image Source: Getty Images Mayank Agarwal was a useful top-order batsman but was unsold in auction with a base price of Rs 1 crore. The India batter didn't get many opportunities after leaving Punjab Kings before IPL 2022. He has been with SunRisers Hyderabad for the last two seasons and has managed to play only 4 matches in IPL 2024. Jonny Bairstow Image Source: BCCI England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow has been utterly destructive in the IPL with his attacking style of batting. Although Bairstow has bloomed as an opener, he could also be pushed down at No. 4 and can add with his keeping for the team. Bairstow has played 50 games in the IPL for SRH and PBKS and amassed 1589 runs at a strike-rate of 144.45. Sarfaraz Khan Image Source: Associates Press Sarfaraz Khan was unfortunate to not have received an IPL deal despite his base price of Rs 50 lakh and a breakout season in red ball cricket for India. Sarfaraz's last IPL appearance was in 2023 for the Delhi Capitals. The Mumbai batter started his IPL career with RCB in 2015 but could not make a mark. Sikander Raza Image Source: BCCI The Zimbabwe captain has well established himself as a match-winner on the world stage as a T20 player. He can anchor innings when needed and turn the gears to deliver blows, especially over straight boundaries; he is a reliable middle-order batter. He also bowls clever off-spin and throws in the carrom ball variation to surprise the batter at times. Raza has a wide experience across different global leagues, and that shows his adaptability to various conditions; he, therefore, is an asset on any lineup. Shardul Thakur Image Soure: BCCI A pace bowling all-rounder is a valuable asset for the team. However, Shardul Thakur's waning prowess in both departments saw him go unsold in the auction after he set his base price at Rs 2 crore. He could not impress in the last outing for the Chennai Super Kings, as he could take only five wickets in nine matches in the IPL 2024. With the introduction of the Impact Player Rule, his ability to finish games was also not put to much use. Also Read | Priyansh Arya: Family, Career, Records, IPL - All Details Navdeep Saini Image Source: BCCI Navdeep Saini, one of India's fastest bowlers, could not get a buyer on the auction. Saini has been constantly troubled with injuries and didn't play for IPL 2024 because of the same. This domestic season saw him go pretty well. However, no franchise approached him to play for his team. Navdeep had 23 wickets for an economy rate of 8.88 from 32 games. Umesh Yadav Image Source: Getty Images It could truly be the end of road for Umesh Yadav in IPL as no franchise bid for the veteran India pacer. Having made his IPL debut in 2010, Umesh was associated with the Gujarat Titans in the last season. He played seven matches and managed to pick eight wickets for Gujarat. In 148 matches, Umesh picked 144 wickets at an economy rate of 8.45. Piyush Chawla Image Source: Getty Images Piyush Chawla has been one of the greatest spinners in IPL history. The 35-year-old boasts of 192 wickets in 192 games in the IPL. He has been leading the spin-attack of the Mumbai Indians in the last two years. He had set his base price at Rs 50 lakh, but none of the franchises were interested in bidding for him. Hence, this might be the end of the road for the veteran in the cash-rich league. Mustafizur Rehman Image Source: BCCI Mustafizur Rahman did not find any takers in the IPL auction as he was one of the many Bangladesh players who went unsold in the IPL. Mustafizur has proved his worth with contributions in death overs and his ability to bowl slower ones and yorkers. Mustafizur was not going great in the IPL lately until last year when he played for CSK. The speedster picked up 14 wickets in just 9 matches at an average of 14.71. His tournament was cut short due to national commitment for Bangladesh. Conclusion The IPL 2025 Mega Auction left us with some surprise unsold players who can still shine bright on the big stage. This best XI of unsold players reveals the depth of talent often missed. They could make all the difference in any team with experience and their skills. While they may not have been part of this season's IPL, their cricketing career is far from ending. Fans will surely keep track of these players and what they can do in the other leagues and competitions happening around the world.