New records were set at the Indian Premier League 2025 auction with two most-expensive buys ever. Indian batsmen, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer were picked for Rs 27 crore and Rs 26.75 crore respectively by Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings. Rishabh Pant is now the costliest player ever to be sold in an IPL auction.
A total of 577 players will feature in the IPL 2025 mega auction, including 366 Indian players and 208 overseas players. Three players from associate nations have also made it to the auction. The IPL auction list includes 318 Indian uncapped players and 12 uncapped overseas cricketers.
Here is list of the top five most expensive players sold on Day 1
Rishabh Pant:
The Indian wicketkeeper batsmen Rishabh Pant was bagged by Lucknow Super Giants for a whopping Rs 27 crore, making him the costliest player in the history of IPL. In the last season Pant captained Delhi Capitals, scoring 446 runs at a strike rate of 155.40. While Delhi Capitals used their Right to Match card to retain the gun batter, they denied matching LSG’s raised bid to Rs 27 crore, making LSG the winner of the bidding war.
In the recent Test series against New Zealand—which India lost 3-0—Pant was seen as the only stand-out performer in the final match with his 60-run knock off 59 balls. This was preceded by a 124-ball hundred in the Test match against Bangladesh in September.
Shreyas Iyer:
Punjab Kings shelled out a jaw dropping Rs 26.75 crore to obtain Shreyas Iyer, making him the second highest player sold after Rishabh Pant.
After a decade, Kolkata Knight Riders won their third IPL title in the previous season under Iyer's captaincy. He led KKR in 14 matches, scoring 351 runs with a strike rate of 146.86.
Though Iyer was not part of the 2024 T20 World Cup squad or the current Indian team facing South Africa, his leadership skills and middle-order batting temperament makes him an ideal player to led Punjab in the forthcoming IPL 2025.
Venkatesh Iyer:
Making his debut with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2021, Venkatesh Iyer has been retained by the team for Rs 23.75 crore against the base price of Rs 2 crore. He is the third-highest player sold in this season so far.
In the previous season, the Indian all-rounder played a pivotal role in helping KKR lift the trophy. Iyer scored 370 runs in 14 matches, including five half centuries.
Arshdeep Singh:
Punjab Kings bought Arshdeep Singh for Rs 18 crore by using the right the match option, compared to his base price of Rs 2 crore. The 2022 IPL edition was considered as the breakout season for him as he picked up 18 wickets from 12 games. Arshdeep had another outstanding season the next year when he took 17 wickets.
Punjab will expect Arshdeep to shadow his precise yorker bowling in the final's overs of the IPL 2025 season, as he did in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Yuzvendra Chahal:
Punjab Kings acquired Yuzvendra Chahal, the right-arm left spin bowler for Rs 18 crore in a battle that CSK initiated. Chahal took 18 wickets in 15 games in the IPL 2024. His ability to support his team during high pressure matches makes him a sought-after player. In the last mega auction, Chahal was obtained for Rs 6.25 crore.
Chahal has played for multiple franchises including Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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