In a record-breaking moment at the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history, being signed by Lucknow Super Giants for an astonishing ₹27 crore (£2.54 million). This remarkable bid followed an intense bidding war between Lucknow and Pant’s former team, Delhi Capitals, cementing his status as one of the most valuable players in T20 cricket.
Pant’s return to IPL this year, after a 14-month hiatus due to a car accident, has been met with widespread excitement. The wicketkeeper-batter surpassed the previous record set just hours earlier, when Shreyas Iyer was picked up by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore (£2.51 million).
Notable Signings
The auction showcased some blockbuster deals, with teams vying for top talent:
- Mitchell Starc, previously the highest-paid player, was signed by Delhi Capitals for ₹11.75 crore (£1 million), a significant drop from his ₹24.75 crore (£2.3 million) deal with Kolkata Knight Riders last year.
- Jos Buttler, England’s white-ball captain, joined Gujarat Titans for ₹15.75 crore (£1.4 million).
- Jofra Archer, returning to Rajasthan Royals, was secured for ₹12.5 crore (£1.18 million).
- Liam Livingstone went to Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹8.75 crore (£796,000), while Phil Salt joined him later for ₹11.5 crore (£1 million).
- India’s KL Rahul joined Delhi Capitals for ₹14 crore (£1.35 million), while pacer Mohammad Siraj was picked by Gujarat Titans for ₹12.25 crore (£1.15 million).
International Stars and Surprises
The auction saw a mix of surprises and strategic signings:
- Ravichandran Ashwin returned to his former team, Chennai Super Kings, for ₹9.75 crore (£927,000).
- Australian all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis joined Punjab Kings, further strengthening their squad under coach Ricky Ponting.
- Among unsold players were England’s Jonny Bairstow and Australia’s David Warner, although they remain eligible for late bids in the upcoming rounds.
A Dynamic Auction
With 72 players signed and 132 slots still available, the auction will continue on Monday with an accelerated phase. Teams will submit overnight lists of targeted players, with big names like James Anderson, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, and Moeen Ali still awaiting deals.
Full Team Rosters
Chennai Super Kings
Noor Ahmed, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar
Delhi Capitals
KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Harry Brook, Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Karun Nair
Gujarat Titans
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mahipal Lomror, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Anuj Rawat, Nishant Sindhu
Kolkata Knight Riders
Venkatesh Iyer, Anrich Nortje, Quinton De Kock, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande
Lucknow Super Giants
Rishabh Pant, Avesh Khan, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Aryan Juyal
Mumbai Indians
Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma
Punjab Kings
Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod
Rajasthan Royals
Jofra Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ishan Kishan, Mohammad Shami, Harshal Patel, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa, Simarjeet Singh, Atharva Taide
As the IPL landscape reshapes with these groundbreaking deals, fans eagerly await the upcoming season to witness their favorite stars in action.