IPL auction 2025 – PBKS buy Shreyas Iyer for record price of INR 26.75 crore
Rishabh Pant has become the most expensive player in IPL history after he was sold to Lucknow Super Giants for INR 27 crore (USD 3.2 million) on the first day of the mega auction in Jeddah. He surpassed the mark set by Punjab Kings, who bid INR 26.75 crore (USD 3.18 million) to buy Shreyas Iyer, a few minutes earlier.
Both LSG and PBKS were in need of new captains this season and Pant and Shreyas will likely fill those roles for them. They surpassed the record INR 24.75 crore bid that Kolkata Knight Riders had made for Mitchell Starc at the IPL 2024 auction.
LSG and Royal Challengers Bengaluru began the bidding for Pant, with Sunrisers Hyderabad joining in once RCB dropped out. SRH and LSG took the big to 20.75 crore, at which point SRH dropped out and Pant was sold to LSG. The auctioneer then asked Delhi Capitals if they wanted to use an right-to-match (RTM) option to buy back Pant, and DC said yes. According to the new RTM rules at this auction, the team that won the bidding were given another opportunity to raise their bid, which LSG did from INR 20.75 crore to INR 27 crore. DC said they did not want to match that bid, which meant Pant was sold to LSG.
