Sun Nov 24 17:20:00 UTC 2024: ## Rishabh Pant Fetches Record-Breaking ₹27 Crore at IPL 2025 Mega Auction
**Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:** The IPL 2025 mega auction kicked off in Jeddah with a bang, witnessing record-breaking bids on the first day. Rishabh Pant emerged as the most expensive player, purchased by the Lucknow Super Giants for a staggering ₹27 crore. Shreyas Iyer followed closely, acquired by the Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore.
However, the auction also saw a surprising turn of events for the Mumbai Indians. Despite their retention of several key players and the availability of one Right to Match (RTM) card, they missed out on securing the services of their promising pacer, Akash Madhwal. Madhwal, who had impressed with his economical bowling and crucial wicket-taking abilities in previous seasons (14 wickets in IPL 2023 and 5 in IPL 2024, including one five-wicket haul), was instead bought by the Rajasthan Royals for ₹1.2 crore after a bidding war with the Punjab Kings. Mumbai Indians had already utilized their RTM card on Naman Dhir, preventing them from matching the bid for Madhwal.
The Mumbai Indians, despite their surprising miss, acquired four other players on the first day: Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minhas, and Karn Sharma. They previously retained Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Tilak Varma in the retention process. The first day of the auction saw a total of 72 players sold. David Warner remained unsold.
The auction continues, with further updates expected. The event underscores the high stakes and intense competition within the Indian Premier League.
First Piper 