After a solid comeback post-injury, Rishabh Pant becomes the most expensive player ever in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The IPL Auction was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman was snapped up by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a staggering ₹27 crore, surpassing the previous record set minutes earlier by Shreyas Iyer, who was acquired by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore.
MEET THE MOST EXPENSIVE PICK IN THE #TATAIPL HISTORY 🙌
Watch #IPLAuction LIVE NOW on #JioCinema & #StarSports👇🏻https://t.co/nuBiKyfyEh#RishabhPant #TATAIPL #IPLAuctiononJioStar #JioCinemaSports #LSG pic.twitter.com/kgMFhdE5g1
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) November 24, 2024
Pant was fiercely contested after the Delhi Capitals (DC) released him prior to this year’s auction. Initially, DC used the Right to Match (RTM) card to match LSG’s bid of ₹20.75 crore. But DC was forced to withdraw when LSG increased the stakes to ₹27 crore.
Pant has been playing for the Delhi Capitals since 2016 and has captained the side since 2021.
His comeback in IPL 2024, following a recovery from severe injuries sustained in a near-fatal car accident in December 2022. While Delhi had an average season in 2024, Pant impressed with 446 runs.
ALSO READ: Shreyas Iyer Becomes IPL’s Expensive Player With ₹26.75 Crore Deal – Here’s How He Did It!