Rishabh Pant becomes most expensive IPL player ever at mega auction

Rishabh Pant has become the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League after being signed by the Lucknow Super Giants for a sum around £2.54m (27 crore).

The India wicketkeeper, who is currently part of the side touring Australia, returned to the IPL in 2024 after a car crash in 2022 forced him to take a 14-month break from the game.

And the 27-year-old was the subject of a bidding war at the player auction in Saudi Arabia, with the Super Giants competing with his former side, the Delhi Capitals.

Pant broke a record that was set earlier in the day, when batsman Shreyas Iyer was signed for a then-record fee of £2.51m (26.75 crore) by the Punjab Kings. Iyer’s namesake, Venkatesh Iyer, joined the the Kolkata Knight Riders for £2.1m.

Plenty of other stars were up for auction at the event in Jeddah, including Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who held the previous record for the most expensive IPL player. He was signed by the Knight Riders for £2.3m in 2023, but for the 2025 edition he joins the Capitals for a fee around £1m (11.75 crore).

Several English players were signed across the auctions, though only Jos Buttler was included in the initial auction – he went on to be signed by the Gujarat Titans for £1.4m (15.75 crore).

Jofra Archer was another notable inclusion, and he will rejoin the Rajasthan Royals after they paid £1.18m (12.5 crore).

Other notable names from the England squad included Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt – who join Royal Challengers Bangalore  for fees of £796,000 and £1.1m respectively – as well as Harry Brook, who was re-signed by Delhi Capitals for £590,000.

Several household names remain unsigned but are still involved in the second part of the auction, with players such as Jonny Bairstow, James Anderson, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett and former Australia opener David Warner all hoping to earn a deal.

The 2025 IPL begins on 14 March and last just over two months, ending on 25 May.