Sun Nov 24 20:37:03 UTC 2024: ## IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Rishabh Pant Shatters Records in Jeddah
**Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:** The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction kicked off in Jeddah with a bang, setting new records and sparking intense bidding wars. Rishabh Pant emerged as the most expensive player in IPL history, acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants for a staggering ₹27 crore, surpassing Shreyas Iyer’s record of ₹26.75 crore which lasted only 22 minutes after he was bought by Punjab Kings.
The first day of the auction saw several high-profile players finding new teams. Ravichandran Ashwin made a return to Chennai Super Kings for ₹9.75 crore, while other notable buys included KL Rahul (₹14 crore to Delhi Capitals), Yuzvendra Chahal (₹18 crore to Punjab Kings), and Mohammed Siraj (₹12.25 crore to Gujarat Titans).
However, some big names like David Warner and Devdutt Padikkal went unsold on day one, leaving their futures uncertain. A total of 574 players were selected from an initial pool of 1,574, with 208 international players and 318 uncapped Indian players among them. The 10 franchises had a combined purse of ₹641.5 crore to spend on 204 slots, with 70 reserved for overseas players.
The auction, which features 84 players in the first session, continues on November 25th. The event, held at the Benchmark Arena, is being hailed as the grandest IPL auction to date and is being telecast on Star Sports and live streamed on Jio Cinema. The auction’s high price tags and intense competition underscore the continued growth and popularity of the IPL.
First Piper 