IPL 2025 mega auction: Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer bag record bids; full list of players SOLD, UNSOLD on Day 1
Synopsis
In a record-breaking IPL 2025 mega auction on Sunday, Rishabh Pant emerged as the most expensive player in the tournament’s history, fetching a whopping Rs 27 crore from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
In a record-breaking IPL 2025 mega auction on Sunday, Rishabh Pant emerged as the most expensive player in the tournament’s history, fetching a whopping Rs 27 crore from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Pant narrowly edged out Shreyas Iyer, who was bought by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 26.75 crore, as franchises went all out for marquee Indian stars.
Pant's record price capped a stunning comeback story following a life-threatening car accident in 2022. The wicketkeeper-batter, a Delhi Capitals (DC) stalwart, entered the auction after parting ways with his long-time team. DC used their Right to Match (RTM) card to re-sign him for Rs 20.75 crore but were outbid by LSG’s Rs 27 crore offer. Pant is set to lead LSG in IPL 2025, marking a new chapter in his career.
Shreyas Iyer and PBKS aim for glory
Shreyas Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title earlier this year, also set the auction floor alight. PBKS splurged Rs 26.75 crore to secure the Indian batter, with head coach Ricky Ponting expressing delight at reuniting with Iyer, a former Delhi Capitals player.
"I haven't spoken to Shreyas Iyer yet on captaincy. I called him before the auction, but he didn't pick up. He's been a successful IPL captain, I'm delighted to work with him again," said Ponting.
Venkatesh Iyer sparks bidding frenzy
In another big move, KKR retained all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 23.75 crore using their RTM card. Known for his explosive batting and handy bowling, Venkatesh became the subject of an intense bidding war between KKR and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
With an increased purse of Rs 120 crore per franchise, the auction saw teams break the bank for top talents. Punjab Kings, armed with the largest budget of Rs 110.5 crore, made the most of their resources by also acquiring Yuzvendra Chahal (Rs 18 crore), Arshdeep Singh (Rs 18 crore), and Marcus Stoinis (Rs 11 crore).
Other notable purchases included:
- KL Rahul, snapped up by Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore, a bargain for the former LSG captain.
- Kagiso Rabada (Rs 10.75 crore) joining Gujarat Titans after being released by PBKS.
- Ravichandran Ashwin (Rs 9.75 crore) returning to Chennai Super Kings, rekindling his partnership with MS Dhoni.
Meanwhile, David Warner and Devdutt Padikkal went unsold on Day 1, raising eyebrows. Both are expected to re-enter the fray during the accelerated auction on Monday.
Starc's price dips; pacers in demand
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, once IPL's most expensive player, saw his price fall to Rs 11.75 crore, going to Delhi Capitals. Fast bowlers continued to command premium prices, with Josh Hazlewood (Rs 12.5 crore, RCB), Trent Boult (Rs 12.5 crore, MI), and Avesh Khan (Rs 9.75 crore, LSG) among the big earners.
The auction saw franchises adopting contrasting strategies. While Rajasthan Royals, with a limited purse, focused on selective buys like Jofra Archer (Rs 12.5 crore), others splurged to build formidable squads.
The IPL 2025 season is set to kick off on March 14, with several teams betting big on fresh leadership and star power. Fans eagerly await the fireworks as the league ushers in a new era of high-stakes competition.
Full list of players sold on Day 1 of IPL 2025 mega auction
| Player Name | Auction price | IPL team |
| Rishabh Pant | Rs 27 crore | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Shreyas Iyer | Rs 26.75 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Venkatesh Iyer | Rs 23.75 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Arshdeep Singh | Rs 18 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Kagiso Rabada | Rs 10.75 crore | Gujarat Titans |
| Jos Buttler | Rs 15.75 crore | Gujarat Titans |
| Mitchell Starc | Rs 11.75 crore | Delhi Capitals |
| Mohammed Shami | Rs 10 crore | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| David Miller | Rs 7.5 crore | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Rs 18 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Mohammed Siraj | Rs 12.25 crore | Gujarat Titans |
| Liam Livingstone | Rs 8.75 crore | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| KL Rahul | Rs 14 crore | Delhi Capitals |
| Harry Brook | Rs 6.25 crore | Delhi Capitals |
| Aiden Markram | Rs 2 crore | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Devon Conway | Rs 6.25 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| Rahul Tripathi | Rs 3.40 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| Jake Fraser-McGurk | Rs 9 crore | Delhi Capitals |
| Harshal Patel | Rs 8 crore | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Rachin Ravindra | Rs 4 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| R Ashwin | Rs 9.75 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| Marcus Stoinis | Rs 11 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Mitchell Marsh | Rs 3.40 crore | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Glenn Maxwell | Rs 4.20 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Quinton de Kock | Rs 3.60 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Phil Salt | Rs 11.50 crore | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Ramanullah Gurbaz | Rs 2 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Ishan Kishan | Rs 11.25 crore | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Jitesh Sharma | Rs 11 crore | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Josh Hazlewood | Rs 12.50 crore | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Prasidh Krishna | Rs 9.50 crore | Gujarat Titans |
| Avesh Khan | Rs 9.75 crore | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Anrich Nortje | Rs 6.5 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Jofra Archer | Rs 12.5 crore | Rajasthan Royals |
| T Natarajan | Rs 10.75 crore | Delhi Capitals |
| Trent Boult | Rs 12.5 crore | Mumbai Indians |
| Maheesh Theekshana | Rs 4.4 crore | Rajasthan Royals |
| Rahul Chahar | Rs 3.2 crore | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Adam Zampa | Rs 2.4 crore | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Khaleel Ahmed | Rs 4.80 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Rs 5.25 crore | Rajasthan Royals |
| Noor Ahmad | Rs 10 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| Atharva Taide (UC) | Rs 30 Lakh | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Nehal Wadhera (UC) | Rs 4.2 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Angrish Raghuvanshi | Rs 3 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Karun Nair | Rs 50 lakh | Delhi Capitals |
| Abhinav Manohar | Rs 3.2 crore | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Sameer Rizvi | Rs 95 lakh | Delhi Capitals |
| Nishant Sandhu | Rs 30 Lakh | Gujarat Titans |
| Harpreet Brar | Rs 1.5 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Abdul Samad | Rs 4.2 crore | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Naman Dhir | Rs 5.25 crore | Mumbai Indians |
| Vijay Shankar | Rs 1.2 crore | Chennai Super Kings |
| Mahipal Lomror | Rs 1.7 crore | Gujarat Titans |
| Ashutosh Sharma | Rs 3.8 crore | Delhi Capitals |
| Kumar Kushagra | Rs 65 lakh | Gujarat Titans |
| Robin Minz | Rs 65 lakh | Mumbai Indians |
| Anuj Rawat | Rs 30 Lakh | Gujarat Titans |
| Vishnu Vinod | Rs 95 lakh | Punjab Kings |
| Rasikh Dhar | Rs 6 crore | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Akash Madhwal | Rs 1.2 crore | Rajasthan Royals |
| Mohit Sharma | Rs 2.2 crore | Delhi Capitals |
| Vyshak Vijay Kumar | Rs 1.8 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Vaibhav Arora | Rs 1.8 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Yash Thakur | Rs 1.6 crore | Punjab Kings |
| Simarjeet Singh | Rs 1.5 crore | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Suyush Sharma | Rs 2.6 crore | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Karn Sharma | Rs 50 lakh | Mumbai Indians |
| Mayank Markande | Rs 30 Lakh | Kolkata Knight Rider |
| Kumar Kartikeya Singh | Rs 30 Lakh | Rajasthan Royals |
| Manav Suthar | Rs 30 lakh | Gujarat Titans |
Full list of players unsold on Day 1 of IPL 2025 mega auction
| Sr. No. | Player | Base Price | Capped/UncappedCappedUncapped |
| 1 | Devdutt Padikkal | Capped | |
| 2 | David Warner | Rs 2,00,00,000 | Capped |
| 3 | Jonny Bairstow | Rs 2,00,00,000 | Capped |
| 4 | Waqar Salamkheil | Rs 75,00,000 | Capped |
| 5 | Piyush Chawla | Rs 50,00,000 | Uncapped |
| 6 | Kartik Tyagi | Rs 40,00,000 | Uncapped |
| 7 | Yash Dhull | Rs 30,00,000 | Uncapped |
| 8 | Anmolpreet Singh | Rs 30,00,000 | Uncapped |
| 9 | Utkarsh Singh | Rs 30,00,000 | Uncapped |
| 10 | Luvnith Sisodia | Rs 30,00,000 | Uncapped |
| 11 | Upendra Singh Yadav | Rs 30,00,000 | Uncapped |
| 12 | Shreyas Gopal | Rs 30,00,000 | Uncapped |
Remaining purse of all 10 teams at the start of IPL 2025 mega auction Day 2
| IPL teams | Remaining purse | Total players | Overseas players |
| Chennai Super Kings | Rs 15.60 CR | 12 | 4 |
| Delhi Capitals | Rs 13.80 CR | 13 | 4 |
| Gujarat Titans | Rs 17.50 CR | 14 | 3 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Rs 10.05 CR | 13 | 5 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Rs 14.85 CR | 12 | 4 |
| Mumbai Indians | Rs 26.10 CR | 9 | 1 |
| Punjab Kings | Rs 22.50 CR | 12 | 2 |
| Rajasthan Royals | Rs 17.35 CR | 11 | 4 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rs 30.65 CR | 9 | 3 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rs 5.15 CR | 13 | 4 |