Rishabh Pant acquired by LSG for ₹27 crore at IPL 2025 auction, breaks the record for the most expensive player in league's history

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant broke the record for being the highest-paid player at the IPL Auction ever, with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) acquiring his services for ₹27 crore. Pant was listed in the Marquee Players Set 1 ahead of the auction.

On Day 1 of the Auction, Rishabh Pant was the last name to be pulled out of the bag from the first set of Marquee Players. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants were in a bidding war before RCB withdrew at ₹11 crore.

The bidding war for the 27-year-old keeper-batter continued as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) joined and continued raising the player's price. LSG bid ₹20.75 crore, which ended up becoming the winning bid for the Lucknow-based franchise.

Delhi Capitals (DC) exercised their RTM and the LSG were presented with the option of raising their bid, which they used and bid ₹27 crore. DC opted against the bid, with LSG ending up acquiring the player.

Pant ended up breaking the record for the most expensive player at the IPL auctions. The previous record was set by his former Delhi Capitals teammate Shreyas Iyer, who was acquired by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore.

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Set 1 of Marquee Players end up with fat paychecks at the IPL 2025 Auction

Mitchell Starc, formerly the most expensive player in the IPL Auction, was acquired by DC for ₹11.75 crore [File image via Getty]

Set 1 of Marquee Players saw the six players in the set earning themselves some huge money in the auction. Arshdeep Singh was the first player to go under the hammer, who got a winning bid from SRH but was eventually acquired back by Punjab using their Right to Match (RTM) card for ₹18 crore.

Kagiso Rabada (₹10.75 crore, Gujarat Titans), Jos Buttler (₹15.75 crore, Gujarat Titans) and Mitchell Starc (₹11.75 crore, Delhi Capitals) were the other high earners in the first set.

The Marquee Players Set 2 is currently underway. Mohammed Shami was the first player to go under the hammer, with Sunrisers Hyderabad acquiring him for ₹10 crore and David Miller going to Lucknow Super Giants for ₹7.5 crore.

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