The IPL 2025 mega auction witnessed a historic moment as Rishabh Pant was signed by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a record-breaking INR 27 crore. The auction, held at the Abady Al Johar Arena in Jeddah, saw intense bidding wars, with Pant surpassing all previous IPL records to become the most expensive player ever in the league’s history.
Pant’s acquisition eclipsed the previous high set by Shreyas Iyer, who was purchased by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 26.75 crore during the same event. Iyer, starting at a base price of INR 2 crore, became another highlight of the auction as fierce bidding between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals (DC) saw his price soar past INR 24.75 crore. PBKS eventually secured Iyer for INR 26.75 crore, just shy of Pant’s record-breaking deal.
IPL auctions: A tradition of record-breaking deals
The IPL auctions have consistently pushed financial boundaries over the years. In 2008, MS Dhoni set the tone for high-value purchases when he was signed by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 9.5 crore. The following year, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff overtook Dhoni’s record, each going for INR 9.8 crore to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and CSK, respectively.
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Most expensive player in each IPL season:
| Year | Player | Amount (INR) | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | MS Dhoni | 9.5 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2009 | Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff | 9.8 crore | Royal Challengers Bangalore (Pietersen), Chennai Super Kings (Flintoff) |
| 2010 | Kieron Pollard, Shane Bond | 4.8 crore | Mumbai Indians (Pollard), Kolkata Knight Riders (Bond) |
| 2011 | Gautam Gambhir | 14.9 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2012 | Ravindra Jadeja | 12.8 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2013 | Glenn Maxwell | 6.3 crore | Mumbai Indians |
| 2014 | Yuvraj Singh | 14 crore | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| 2015 | Yuvraj Singh | 16 crore | Delhi Daredevils |
| 2016 | Shane Watson | 9.5 crore | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| 2017 | Ben Stokes | 14.5 crore | Rising Pune Supergiant |
| 2018 | Ben Stokes | 12.5 crore | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2019 | Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy | 8.4 crore | Rajasthan Royals (Unadkat), Kings XI Punjab (Chakravarthy) |
| 2020 | Pat Cummins | 15.5 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2021 | Chris Morris | 16.25 crore | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2022 | Ishan Kishan | 15.25 crore | Mumbai Indians |
| 2023 | Sam Curran | 18.5 crore | Punjab Kings |
| 2024 | Mitchell Starc | 24.75 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2025 | Rishabh Pant | 27 crore | Lucknow Super Giants |