The star Indian wicketkeeper batter, Rishabh Pant has become the most expensive buy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction history as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bought the payer for INR 27 crore.
The unit had initially agreed on INR 20 crore with the player, but after Delhi Capitals (DC) exercised their RTM card, LSG quickly increased their offer to INR 27 crore.
In addition to him, franchises also made a huge bid for Shreyas Iyer, with Punjab Kings (PBKS) ultimately securing him for INR 26.75 crore. As a result, Iyer has reunited with Ricky Ponting once again.
Talking about PBKS, the side also brought back Arshdeep Singh with a Right to Match (RTM) at INR 18 crore. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) submitted a strong bid of INR 15.75 crore for Arshdeep, prompting PBKS to contemplate utilising the RTM card. As SRH increased their bid to 17 crore, PBKS opted to exercise their RTM and acquired Arshdeep for 18 crore.
KL Rahul also got acquired by Delhi Capitals for INR 14 crore. He is expected to lead the team in the IPL 2025 season. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were highly interested in him, but once DC entered the bidding, it was all done for other teams.
Mohammed Shami was sold to SRH for INR 10 crore, while Jos Buttler was acquired by Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 15.75 crore following an explosive bidding battle between GT and PBKS. Furthermore, Mitchell Starc was picked by Delhi for INR 11.75 crore, a salary drop from the previous season’s INR 24.75 crore.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and RCB were also interested in acquiring Liam Livingstone, eventually, the Bangalore-based team secured the deal for INR 8.75 crore.
Furthermore, South Africa’s David Miller joins LSG for INR 7.50 crore. RCB and GT were also keen, but LSG sealed the deal after outbidding DC.