At the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Rishabh Pant made history as the most expensive player ever sold in the tournament’s history. The Lucknow Super Giants secured the wicketkeeper-batter’s services for a staggering ₹27 crore at the Abadi Al Johar Arena, surpassing Shreyas Iyer’s previous record of ₹26.75 crore from last year. Pant’s signing was the highlight of a day filled with intense bidding wars as franchises revamped their squads for the upcoming season.
Star Signings and Intense Bidding Wars
Arshdeep Singh kicked off the auction with a five-team bidding war, eventually being retained by Punjab Kings with their Right to Match card for ₹18 crore. Other marquee players also commanded hefty amounts, with Delhi Capitals securing Mitchell Starc for ₹11.75 crore and Gujarat Titans signing Jos Buttler for ₹15.75 crore.
Venkatesh Iyer was another standout, fetching a ₹23.75 crore deal with Kolkata Knight Riders, making him the second-most expensive player of the day.
Key Signings by Teams
Here’s how some of the top franchises shaped their squads:
Lucknow Super Giants
Players Bought:
- Rishabh Pant – ₹27 crore
- David Miller – ₹7.50 crore
- Aiden Markram – ₹2 crore
- Avesh Khan – ₹9.75 crore
- Mitchell Marsh – ₹3.40 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹19.35 crore
Punjab Kings
Players Bought:
- Shreyas Iyer – ₹26.75 crore
- Yuzvendra Chahal – ₹18 crore
- Marcus Stoinis – ₹11 crore
- Glenn Maxwell – ₹4.20 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹32.55 crore
Delhi Capitals
Players Bought:
- KL Rahul – ₹14 crore
- Mitchell Starc – ₹11.75 crore
- Harry Brook – ₹6.25 crore
- T. Natarajan – ₹10.75 crore
- Jake Fraser-McGurk (RTM) – ₹9 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹21.25 crore
Chennai Super Kings
Players Bought:
- Devon Conway – ₹6.25 crore
- Ravichandran Ashwin – ₹9.75 crore
- Rahul Tripathi – ₹3.40 crore
- Noor Ahmad – ₹10 crore
- Khaleel Ahmed – ₹4.80 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹16.80 crore
Kolkata Knight Riders
Players Bought:
- Venkatesh Iyer – ₹23.75 crore
- Quinton de Kock – ₹3.60 crore
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz – ₹2 crore
- Anrich Nortje – ₹6.50 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹15.15 crore
Mumbai Indians
Players Bought:
- Trent Boult – ₹12.50 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹32.50 crore
Gujarat Titans
Players Bought:
- Jos Buttler – ₹15.75 crore
- Mohammed Siraj – ₹12.25 crore
- Prasidh Krishna – ₹9.50 crore
- Kagiso Rabada – ₹10.75 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹20.75 crore
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Players Bought:
- Ishan Kishan – ₹11.25 crore
- Harshal Patel – ₹8 crore
- Adam Zampa – ₹2.40 crore
- Rahul Chahar – ₹3.20 crore
- Mohammed Shami – ₹10 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹10.15 crore
Rajasthan Royals
Players Bought:
- Jofra Archer – ₹12.50 crore
- Wanindu Hasaranga – ₹5.25 crore
- Maheesh Theekshana – ₹4.40 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹18.85 crore
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Players Bought:
- Liam Livingstone – ₹8.75 crore
- Phil Salt – ₹11.50 crore
- Jitesh Sharma – ₹11 crore
- Josh Hazlewood – ₹12.50 crore
Purse Remaining: ₹39.25 crore
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Auction Mechanics
The IPL 2025 auction featured 577 players vying for 204 spots, including 70 for overseas players. With fierce competition and strategic bidding, Day 2 is expected to bring more excitement and crucial team-defining purchases.