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Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League after being signed by Lucknow Super Giants for a fee of around ₹2.54 million (27 crore).
The Indian wicketkeeper, who is currently part of the team touring Australia, returned to the IPL in 2024 after a car accident 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 Saudi Arabia’s player auction, with the Super Giants competing with his former team, the Delhi Capitals.
Pant broke a record set earlier in the day, when batsman Shreyas Iyer was signed for a then-record fee of ₹2.51 million (26.75 crores) by the Punjab Kings. Iyer’s namesake Venkatesh Iyer joined Kolkata Knight Riders for £2.1 million.
Many 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 £2.3 million in 2023, but for the 2025 edition, he joins the Capitals for a fee of around £1 million (11.75 crores).
Several England players were signed in the auction, although only Jos Buttler was included in the initial auction – he was later signed by the Gujarat Titans for £1.4 million (15.75 crores).
Jofra Archer was another notable inclusion, and he will join Rajasthan Royals after paying £1.18 million (12.5 crores).
Other notable names in the England squad include Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt – who join Royal Challengers Bangalore for fees of £796,000 and £1.1 million respectively – as well as Harry Brook, who was re- signed by the Delhi Capitals for £590,000.
Several well-known 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 Australian fly-half David Warner all hoping to win an agreement.
The IPL 2025 begins on March 14 and lasts a little over two months, ending on May 25.
