Sun Nov 24 16:40:00 UTC 2024: **IPL Mega Auction Day 1: Pant Shatters Records, 72 Players Sold**
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – The first day of the IPL 2025 mega auction saw a flurry of high-profile signings and record-breaking bids. A total of 72 players were sold, with Rishabh Pant becoming the most expensive player in IPL history, purchased by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a staggering ₹27 crore (approximately $3.3 million USD). This eclipsed the previous record set earlier in the day by Shreyas Iyer, who was bought by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for ₹26.75 crore (approximately $3.25 million USD).
Other notable acquisitions included:
* **Arshdeep Singh (India):** ₹18 crore, Punjab Kings
* **Kagiso Rabada (South Africa):** ₹10.75 crore, Gujarat Titans
* **Jos Buttler (England):** ₹15.75 crore, Gujarat Titans
* **Mitchell Starc (Australia):** ₹11.75 crore, Delhi Capitals
* **Mohammed Shami (India):** ₹10 crore, Sunrisers Hyderabad
* **Yuzvendra Chahal (India):** ₹18 crore, Punjab Kings
* **Mohammed Siraj (India):** ₹12.25 crore, Gujarat Titans
* **KL Rahul (India):** ₹14 crore, Delhi Capitals
* **Venkatesh Iyer (India):** ₹23.75 crore, Kolkata Knight Riders
A full list of players sold on Day 1 is available. The auction continues on November 25th with approximately 132 players remaining and a total of ₹173.55 crore (approximately $21 million USD) still available across all ten teams.
Several high-profile players who captained their teams last season, including Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Faf du Plessis, were not retained by their previous franchises. Despite having the Right to Match (RTM) card, none of their former teams chose to utilize it to bring them back. The auction has generated significant excitement for the upcoming IPL season.
First Piper 