Shardul Thakur and Prithvi Shaw were some of the big names that went unsold at the recent IPL 2025 mega auction that was held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Following the IPL 2025 auction, it was discovered why Shardul Thakur and Prithvi Shaw were unsold.
They are some of the surprising names who did not find a buyer during the auction, sparking extensive debate and leaving many perplexed, but Ponting believes they lack the spark that the IPL needs in this fast-changing style of the game.
Shardul Thakur was a valuable asset just two years ago, but despite his outstanding all-around abilities and high-profile background, he failed to inspire any interest in this auction.
Ricky Ponting surprised Shardul Thakur going unsold
Thakur was purchased for a whopping INR 10.75 crore in the 2022 auction, but his basic price of INR 2 crore failed to attract any bidders at the recent IPL 2025 super auction.
Ricky Ponting, the renowned Australian cricketer and current head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS), worked with both Prithvi Shaw and Shardul Thakur when coaching the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) till 2024.
Ricky Ponting expressed astonishment that Shardul went unsold during the auction. The Australian legend also stated that Thakur was a hot item two years ago, but his value has now plummeted, claiming that the game has caught up with him.
“The game catches up with you, right? So, you know, Shardul, only a couple of years ago, I think we paid about INR 10 crores for him in an auction. And now he’s not. Now he’s unsold,” Ponting told Cricbuzz.
It’s actually quite sad: Ricky Ponting on Prithvi Shaw
Ponting was equally disappointed with Prithvi Shaw’s predicament, calling him the best prospect he has worked with.
Once he was compared to Sachin Tendulkar, but now Prithvi Shaw’s career has suffered owing to indiscipline and fitness concerns. Prithvi Shaw was recently dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji team.
“Sad. You know, Prithvi, I still say now he is as talented a player as I probably ever worked with. He goes unsold in the auction and then doesn’t even come back in the accelerator. And there are a lot of teams here that are looking at him. He’s not playing. But as I said, the game catches up with you. So, yeah, I guess that. Yeah, that’s about all you can say. When you look at something like that, it’s actually quite sad that he’s not….” Ponting said.
Both Shardul Thakur and Prithvi Shaw were once the heart of their franchises, but now due to reasons unknown, they went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
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