• Rishabh Pant was sold for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore in the IPL 2025 Auction.
• Lucknow Super Giants secured Pant, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.
• The bidding war escalated rapidly, with LSG making the highest bid of Rs 27 crore.
• Pant's record-breaking bid surpassed the previous highest bid for Shreyas Iyer, who was sold for Rs 26.75 crore.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Auction, held at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah, witnessed a historic moment as former Delhi Capitals captain, Rishabh Pant, was sold for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) secured Pant, making him the most expensive player in the history of the tournament.

The bidding war for Pant was a spectacle, with LSG initiating the process, immediately met with a fierce counter from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The bid escalated rapidly, crossing the Rs 10 crore mark in no time.

The Bidding War

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) joined the bidding war at Rs 10.5 crore, intensifying the competition. The bids flew in quick succession, pushing the price to an unprecedented Rs 20 crore. LSG, however, was resolute in their pursuit of Pant and raised the stakes to Rs 20.75 crore.

Just as the bidding seemed to reach its zenith, the Delhi Capitals (DC) played their Right to Match (RTM) card, momentarily reclaiming Pant. But LSG was not to be outdone. They retaliated with a jaw-dropping bid of Rs 27 crore, the highest ever in the history of the IPL. This forced DC to withdraw, setting a new benchmark for future IPL auctions.

Pant's IPL Journey and Record-Breaking Bid

Pant, who had led the Delhi Capitals for three seasons, was released from the squad ahead of the mega auction. The team retained four players - Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abhishek Porel. Pant's IPL career boasts of 111 games, during which he scored 3284 runs, including 18 half-centuries and a century.

This record-breaking bid for Pant surpassed the previous highest bid for Shreyas Iyer, the winning captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2024. Iyer was sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 26.75 crore earlier in the day.

Historical Similarities and Future Implications

This event is reminiscent of the IPL 2014 auction when Yuvraj Singh was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a then-record Rs 14 crore. The trend of high bids for players with leadership qualities and match-winning abilities has been a constant in the IPL auctions.

Pant's auction is a testament to the belief that a player's value extends beyond their on-field skills.