3. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir made a return to his home franchise the Delhi Daredevils last season. But he quit the captaincy midway through the tournament and also dropped himself from the team. As a result, Gambhir was released by the franchise and will now go under the hammer.
The former India batsman was the skipper of the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011 to 2017 and he led them to two IPL titles - in 2012 and 2014. He is also the fourth highest leading run scorer in the history of the tournament with over 4,200 runs in 154 matches.
Royal Challengers Bangalore may target Gambhir at the auction as the franchise would want to get an opening batsman. Gambhir can be a good addition to the side and can give some valuable leadership inputs to Virat Kohli as the team looks to win its first IPL title.
Get real-time updates on IPL 2025, including live scores, match schedules, points table & squad details for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT & PBKS