“Mitchell Starc’s auction record is in danger” - Irfan Pathan predicts costliest player ever at IPL 2025 auction

Former Team India pacer and broadcaster Irfan Pathan has predicted that wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will break the record for the costliest player ever at the IPL 2025 auction. Pant was released by the Delhi Capitals and enters the auction after nine years.

In a surprising move, the 2020 finalists decided to let go of their skipper Pant as they wanted to look for other options at the auction table. Pant was acquired for ₹1.9 crore by the Delhi Capitals back in 2016 and has played in nine IPL seasons for them.

On Tuesday, November 19, Irfan Pathan took to his official X account and shared the following post:

"Mitchell Starc’s auction record is in danger. @RishabhPant17 is ready to break it!"

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Rishabh Pant listed in Marquee Players Set 1 at IPL 2025 auction

Rishabh Pant was the Delhi Capitals' skipper for the 2024 Indian Premier League (image via Getty)

Rishabh Pant's association with the Delhi Capitals has ended after nine years. The 27-year-old will be entering the auction for the first time since 2016. Pant has been listed in Set 1 of the Marquee Players, with a base price of ₹2 crores.

The marquee players are spread across two sets this time, with Jos Buttler, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada and Mitchell Starc featuring in set one. The likes of KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj will be featuring in set two.

The IPL auction this time will see a total of 574 players go under the hammer, with 336 Indian players expected to feature from 79 sets. The auction will be held across two days (November 24 and 25) at the Abady Al Johar Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.