"They might be ready to pay 15 to 20 crores" - Sunil Gavaskar says the Delhi Capitals will try very hard to buy Ishan Kishan at IPL 2025 auction

Sunil Gavaskar expects the Delhi Capitals (DC) to try extremely hard to buy Ishan Kishan at the IPL 2025 auction. He added that the Delhi-based franchise might be willing to spend an exorbitant amount to acquire the wicketkeeper-batter's services.

The IPL 2025 auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25. Kishan was acquired by the Mumbai Indians (MI) for ₹15.25 crore at the last mega auction ahead of the 2022 edition of the prestigious league.

On the Star Sports show 'Game Plan', Gavaskar reflected on some of the wicketkeeper-batters who could be prized acquisitions at the auction. As for Kishan, he said:

"I feel Delhi will try very hard to get Ishan Kishan. They might be ready to pay 15 to 20 crores for Ishan Kishan because we have seen that Ishan Kishan has the ability to change the complexion of the game in T20 cricket because of the way he bats."

While highlighting that the Delhi Capitals need a wicketkeeper-batter, the former India captain named the Punjab Kings (PBKS) as another franchise that might be interested in Kishan.

"With Delhi not retaining Rishabh Pant, they will look for a wicketkeeper-batter as well. Punjab has possibly got the biggest purse so far when they go into the auction. So Punjab will also make a play for Ishan Kishan," Gavaskar observed.

Kishan was MI's fourth-highest run-scorer, behind Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, in IPL 2024. The left-handed opener aggregated 320 runs at a strike rate of 148.83 in 14 innings.

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"He is one of those few batters who seems to score a hundred in the IPL every year" - Sunil Gavaskar on Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler was released by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same show, Sunil Gavaskar opined that Jos Buttler will be another wicketkeeper-batter in great demand.

"Jos Buttler is another wicketkeeper-batter. With a wicketkeeper-batter what happens is that you can actually use him as a fielder and you can use him as a wicketkeeper as well. So there will be a big demand for him. He is one of those few batters who seems to score a hundred in the IPL every year," he reasoned.

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) might be among the teams interested in acquiring the England white-ball skipper's services.

"So clearly I think a lot of teams will go for him. Hyderabad could go for him. With Travis Head and Abhishek (Sharma) as No. 1 and No. 2, Buttler comes in at No. 3, their top three becomes really a devastating combination. Maybe again Punjab will go for him. So it's going to be interesting who will eventually get Jos Buttler," Gavaskar said.

Buttler was the Rajasthan Royals' fourth-highest run-scorer, behind Riyan Parag, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal, in IPL 2024. The right-handed opener amassed 359 runs at a strike rate of 140.78 in 11 innings.