In a record-breaking IPL 2025 mega auction on Sunday, Rishabh Pant emerged as the most expensive player in the tournament’s history, fetching a whopping Rs 27 crore from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Pant narrowly edged out Shreyas Iyer, who was bought by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 26.75 crore, as franchises went all out for marquee Indian stars.
Record-Breaking Bids in IPL Auction
- Shreyas Iyer was snapped up by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 26.75 crore. Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title earlier this year, made a strong comeback after being left out of the BCCI central contracts list.
- Venkatesh Iyer returned to KKR for INR 23.75 crore after a fierce bidding war with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
- Mitchell Starc, previously IPL’s costliest player, joined Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 11.75 crore.
- Ravichandran Ashwin made an emotional return to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 9.75 crore.
- KL Rahul was a bargain buy for DC at INR 14 crore.
Other Notable Bids
- Arshdeep Singh was retained by PBKS using the Right to Match (RTM) option at INR 18 crore.
- Yuzvendra Chahal also joined PBKS for INR 18 crore.
- Kagiso Rabada joined Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 10.75 crore.
- Jos Buttler was secured by GT for INR 15.75 crore.
Unsold Players
Some big names like David Warner and Devdutt Padikkal went unsold on Day 1, raising eyebrows and setting the stage for an exciting Day 2.
The auction saw a total spending of INR 467.95 crore on 72 players, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) holding the largest purse for Day 2.
Also Read: Reetika Hooda becomes second Indian Woman to win gold at World Military Championships
.){kind=link}