The first Italian cricket player to sign up for an IPL auction is Thomas Jack Draca, who has created history as per his biography
1,574 cricket players have formally registered for the much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, which is scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The majority of the foreign players (92 players) are from South Africa, whereas 1,165 of the registered players are Indian.
Australia (76 players) and England (52 players) are also well represented, in addition to the significant South African presence. Players from affiliated countries like the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates have surprisingly expressed interest in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Even Italian cricketer Thomas Jack Draca has taken notice of the event, despite cricket not being a prominent sport in Italy with Draca taking up the 352nd spot in the auction.
Who is Italian cricketer Thomas Jack Draca as he registers for the IPL 2025 mega auction, biography, age and bowling career stats
24-year-old Thomas Jack Draca was born on 23 October 2000.
Date of birth: 23/10/2000. role: All Rounder. batting style: Right Handed. bowling style: Right arm fast medium
Meet Mr. Thomas Jack Draca
The First Ever Italian Fast Bowler in #IPL2025 Mega Auction!!!pic.twitter.com/2MYH9borOK
— YELLOVE 𝕏 Fever™ (@hajuri_janardan) November 6, 2024
Thomas Jack Draca career
On June 9 of this year, Thomas Jack Draca made his T20I debut for Italy against Luxembourg during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier Group A match played in Spinaceto, capturing eight wickets in four games. Despite being fresh to the IPL auction scene, he has played for the Brampton Wolves in Canada and the MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20, among other prestigious T20 tournaments.
With an outstanding average of 10.63 and an economy rate of 6.88, he took 11 wickets in six games, finishing as the Global T20 Canada 2024 joint second-highest wicket-taker.
His best performance was against Surrey, where he helped his team defend a score of 198 and win by 59 runs by taking three wickets for 18 runs in four overs.
As cricket makes its debut in the football-dominant country, his rising prominence portends Italy’s slow but steady advancement in ICC-affiliated competitions. Draca’s inclusion could be a wild card in the auction because of his combination of domestic and foreign expertise. Teams trying to add new talent to their bowling departments may find his skill set and versatility across T20 competitions appealing.
According to BCCI sources who spoke to PTI on Monday, the renowned auction will take place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, during the final week of this month. High-profile Indian player including Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Arshdeep Singh will be up for auction at this year’s massive auction.