Rishabh Pant's auction bid rockets to Rs 27 crore, shattering IPL records

Rishabh Pant (Pic: AFP)

In a record-breaking moment at the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Rishabh Pant has created history by becoming the most expensive player ever in an IPL auction.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) broke the bank to acquire the wicketkeeper-batter for a staggering Rs 27 crore, sparking a fierce bidding war that saw them outbid Sunrisers Hyderabad and his former team, Delhi Capitals.

Pant, who was released by Delhi Capitals after the 2024 season, became the most sought-after player of the auction. His departure from Delhi marks the first time in his IPL career that he will represent a franchise other than DC, having played for them since his debut in 2016. His move to LSG is not just a personal milestone but also a historic one, as he surpasses Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 24.75 crore in the 2024 auction, making Pant the highest-priced player in IPL history.

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The 27-year-old Pant's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. After a year-long absence from competitive cricket due to a serious car accident in December 2022, Pant returned to lead Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024. However, a disappointing sixth-place finish for DC led to the franchise parting ways with their captain, and Pant entered the auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore. His aggressive and fearless batting style, along with his leadership skills, made him a highly coveted player, eventually leading to the record-breaking bid by Lucknow.

Pant's IPL career is defined by his explosive batting and match-winning performances. His standout season came in IPL 2018 when he amassed 684 runs at a blistering strike rate of 173.60. In IPL 2019, he scored 488 runs, maintaining a strike rate of 162.66, and played a pivotal role in helping DC reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

Pant's leadership qualities were put to the test in 2021 when he captained Delhi Capitals after Shreyas Iyer's injury. Under Pant's leadership, DC finished at the top of the points table before the COVID-19 disruption, and he was retained as skipper for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In total, Pant has scored 3,284 runs in 111 IPL matches at an impressive average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93, including one century and 18 fifties. Across all T20s, he has accumulated 5,022 runs in 202 matches.