Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer created history by becoming the most expensive players in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) broke the bank for the two big Indian stars in the IPL auction for the 2025 season.
Arshdeep Singh also attracted a lot of attention. The left-arm pacer was the first player to go under the hammer and PBKS used the Right to Match (RTM) for the price of ₹18 crore.
Iyer was third out of the bag. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) started the bidding but Punjab were right behind the 2024 IPL-winning captain. Delhi Capitals then joined in and the two franchises fought till the very end. Punjab eventually bagged Iyer for a whopping sum of ₹26.75 crore. At that moment, he became the most expensive player in the history of the IPL.
That lasted only a few minutes as Pant was the last player to go under the hammer in the first marquee set. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were after the left-handed wicket-keeper batter. It was LSG who won the bid at ₹20.75 crore but Delhi decided to use their RTM card. That’s when LSG upped the price to ₹27 crore and DC decided against the retention. Hence, Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the IPL.
Yuzvendra Chahal who has the most number of wickets in the history of the league was picked up by Punjab for a price of ₹18 crore. As many as six teams were interested in the experienced leg-spinner, but SRH and PBKS were battling it out until the end. In the end, it was Punjab who managed to get Chahal.
Venkatesh Iyer goes for ₹23.75 crore – Most for an all-rounder in IPL history
One name that surprised everyone was that of Venkatesh Iyer. The 29-year-old left-hander has played four seasons in the IPL and all of them for KKR. He will remain with the three-time IPL champions. However, there was a massive bidding war between KKR and RCB for him. He fetched a staggering sum of ₹23.75 crore.
KL Rahul is a name that went below par. The Karnataka batter was in the second marquee set. RCB and KKR were behind him from the start but Delhi came in late and prized out the 32-year-old for ₹14 crore which looks like a steal.
MOST EXPENSIVE PICKS:
Rishabh Pant – Lucknow Super Giants – ₹27 crore
Shreyas Iyer – Punjab Kings – ₹26.75 crore
Venkatesh Iyer – Kolkata Knight Riders – ₹23 crore
Arshdeep Singh – Punjab Kings – ₹18 crore
Yuzvendra Chahal – Punjab Kings – ₹18 crore
