Sun Nov 24 16:40:00 UTC 2024: ## Rishabh Pant Makes IPL History at Jeddah Mega Auction
**Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:** The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction kicked off in Jeddah on Sunday, November 24th, with a flurry of high-profile signings. A total of 72 players were sold on the first day, creating a spectacle of high bids and some disappointments for unsold players.
The biggest news came with the record-breaking sale of Rishabh Pant to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a staggering ₹27 crore (approximately $3.2 million USD), making him the most expensive player in IPL history. This surpasses the previous record set earlier in the auction when Shreyas Iyer was bought by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore.
The auction featured a strong competition for both Indian and international players. Among the notable acquisitions were: Arshdeep Singh (₹18 crore, Punjab Kings), Kagiso Rabada (₹10.75 crore, Gujarat Titans), Jos Buttler (₹15.75 crore, Gujarat Titans), Mitchell Starc (₹11.75 crore, Delhi Capitals), Mohammed Shami (₹10 crore, Sunrisers Hyderabad), and Yuzvendra Chahal (₹18 crore, Punjab Kings). Many other international and Indian stars also commanded significant bids.
A total of 577 players were up for auction, with a maximum of 204 expected to be sold. The auction saw several former captains, including Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Faf du Plessis, unsold by their previous teams and available for bidding. Their former teams did have the Right to Match (RTM) card option to retain them, but ultimately chose not to exercise that option. The auction is set to continue.
First Piper 