James Anderson On Why He Is In IPL 2025 Auction: The England pacer shocked the world when he registered for the IPL 2025 mega auction. He now reveals that the reason behind his taking part in the auction is his desire to play cricket.
Anderson’s registration came as a surprise to many for a number of reasons, the first of them being that he has never played a game in the IPL. In fact, he has never even been a part of the auction. But this time around, he put his name into the player pool and set his base price to Rs. 1.25 crores.
Not only has he never played in the IPL, but the legendary fast-bowler has not even played a professional T20 game since 2014 for his county team Lancashire. His last T20I for his national team came all the way back in 2009.
But the biggest reason that his registration came as a surprise is that he retired from international cricket in July 2024. Having played his last ODI for the England Cricket Team in 2015, Anderson was a regular for the Three Lions in Test cricket. He might just be his county’s greatest Test bowler, as he has 704 wickets in 188 games and is third on the list of all-time wicket-takers in the format.
Despite all that, Jimmy has entered the auction for IPL 2025, doing something he had never done in his illustrious career. And while players who have retired from international cricket to play in the IPL, with MS Dhoni and Faf du Plessis to name two, for someone like Anderson, who has never played in the league, it is highly unusual.
James Anderson On Why He Is In IPL 2025 Auction
So it is natural that the legendary pacer would be questioned about his decision to participate in the biggest T20 league in the world. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, he was asked about it. Jimmy Anderson claimed that he was still fit enough to bowl and could bowl four overs per match. Speaking on his registration, he said,
“The whole point of going to the auction, I think, I want to play cricket again. Whether I get picked up or not is a different matter. There’s definitely a feeling inside of me that I’ve got more to offer, in some shape or form. So, however long down the line that might be, in whatever capacity that might be, I’m not sure yet.”
Anderson further went on to say that he still wants to play cricket, despite being 42 years old.
“But I’m really keen to play. I feel really fit; I’ve been bowling still, ticking over, so I feel like I’m in a good place, and I’d love to have an opportunity to play somewhere,” he continued.
Finally, when questioned about whether any of the teams have approached him yet, James Anderson said,
“Nothing yet. We’ll just have to wait and see; keep my fingers crossed and see what happens.”
The IPL 2025 auction will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25. All the teams have announced the players they have retained and must be preparing for the mega auction to come.
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for Live Updates – Facebook & Instagram.
