Mohammed Shami's IPL 2025 Auction Predictions: Sanjay Manjrekar Discusses Injury Concerns And Franchise Interest

Mohammed Shami, the Indian fast bowler, is set to enter the IPL Mega Auction 2025 with a base price of Rs 2 Crore. Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has shared his insights on Shami's prospects in this auction. The event is scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Shami recently returned to competitive cricket after recovering from a long injury. Despite his impressive comeback, Gujarat Titans chose not to retain him for the upcoming auction. This decision has sparked interest among all ten IPL teams, including his former teams, GT and Punjab Kings.

Manjrekar expressed concerns about Shami's injury history affecting his auction value. He mentioned that while there will be interest from franchises, they might hesitate due to the risk of losing him mid-season. "There will definitely be interest from teams, but given Shami's injury history - and this recent one took a significant amount of time to recover - there's always a concern about a potential breakdown during the season," Manjrekar stated.

The former cricketer highlighted that investing heavily in Shami could be risky if he gets injured again. "If a franchise invests heavily and then loses him mid-season, their options become limited. This concern might lead to a drop in his price tag," he added.

Despite these concerns, Shami has shown remarkable form recently. In the Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh last week, he took seven wickets, leading Bengal to an exciting 11-run victory. His return to domestic cricket signifies an important milestone in his recovery journey.

Shami was also included in Bengal's squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. His performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 was outstanding as well. He emerged as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets in seven matches at an average of 10.70.

Impressive IPL Track Record

During the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand, Shami delivered his best performance by taking 7/57. However, after India's loss to Australia in the final, he missed several matches due to injury, including India's T20 World Cup win.

In his last IPL season in 2023, Shami claimed 28 wickets from 17 innings with an economy rate of 8.04, earning him the purple cap as the highest wicket-taker of that season. Previously bought for Rs 6.25 Crore in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, he played a crucial role in Gujarat Titans' debut season victory by taking 20 wickets in 16 matches.

The upcoming IPL Mega Auction will test how franchises weigh Shami's recent form against his injury history when deciding on their bids.