Rishabh Pant becomes IPL‘s most expensive bid, snapped up by LSG for Rs 27cr and pipping Shreyas who goes to PBKS for Rs 26.75cr; KKR regain Venkatesh Iyer for flattering Rs 23.75cr
Just after midnight on Oct 12, when the Delhi Capitals informed Rishabh Pant that he would be retained as their highest-paid player but removed as captain, the star wicketkeeper-batter posted on X: “If I go to the auction, will I be sold or not, and for how much??”
IPL 2025 Auction
On Sunday, at the mega IPL auction in Jeddah, Pant and his fans got their answer.Sparking a bidding war among four teams, the generational talent fetched a jaw-dropping Rs 27 crore from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), surpassing Shreyas Iyer (bought for Rs 26.75cr by Punjab Kings) to become the costliest player in IPL history.
While Pant and Iyer broke the bank, another Iyer also raked in the moolah. In a massive surprise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), after initially deciding not to retain him, used the Right-to-Match (RTM) card to secure Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 23.75cr, making him the third-highest buy of the auction.
In a sentimental move, 38-year-old off-spinner R Ashwin was bought by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 9.75cr. CSK also splashed out Rs 10cr for Afghanistan left-arm spinner Noor Ahmed.Both Iyer, who captained KKR to the
IPL 2024 title, and Pant reaped the rewards for their decisions to leave their previous franchises due to differences.
This being a mega auction, some expected teams to spend conservatively to build balanced squads. That theory went out of the window when Punjab went all out, acquiring Iyer in the opening marquee set. Punjab’s new head coach, Ricky Ponting—under whom Iyer captained the DC to the IPL 2020 final—was instrumental in the move, citing Iyer’s leadership.
However, in a pattern reminiscent of how Mitchell Starc briefly became the IPL’s most expensive player in the mini-auction last year before being surpassed, Iyer’s record bid was soon topped by Pant’s Rs 27cr acquisition by LSG.
Once teammates at DC, Pant and Iyer have displayed remarkable resilience to bounce back from adversity. Pant’s return from a near-fatal road accident is the stuff of fairy tales. For Iyer, the windfall capped a rollercoaster 2024: Exclusion from BCCI’s central contracts list, leading KKR to their third IPL title, stellar domestic performances, and now this record-breaking payday.
DC tried to retain Pant, matching bids up to Rs 20.75cr using the RTM card. However, LSG sealed the deal with their Rs 27cr bid.Like Iyer, Pant is expected to lead LSG next season, which begins on March 14.
KKR’s Venkatesh Iyer surprise
Venkatesh Iyer’s massive payday from KKR, despite not being among their retained players and has hardly bowled under the Impact Player rule, was one such stunner.
Punjab, equipped with a hefty purse, also made significant purchases, including reacquiring left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for Rs 18cr. and signing Yuzvendra Chahal for the same amount. Among other notable moves, KL Rahul found a new home with the DC for Rs14cr where he might captain.
Can KKR solve the captaincy puzzle at IPL 2025 auction?
Mohammed Shami, returning from injury, was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs10cr, while Gujarat Titans secured Mohammed Siraj for Rs 12.25cr.
SRH also signed wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan for Rs 11.25cr. Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada joined Gujarat Titans for Rs 10.75cr.
