Pant Shatters Record, Teams Spend ₹467.95 Crore

The first day of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction concluded with 84 players going under the hammer—72 sold and 12 unsold. Teams collectively spent a staggering ₹467.95 crore.

The auction made history as India’s star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history.

The Lucknow Super Giants acquired him for ₹27 crore, surpassing Shreyas Iyer’s ₹26.75 crore record set earlier in the day when he was picked by the Punjab Kings.

Kolkata Knight Riders went all-in for Venkatesh Iyer, signing him for ₹23.75 crore.

Meanwhile, Yuzvendra Chahal became the most expensive Indian spinner in IPL history, with Punjab Kings securing him for ₹18 crore.

The first player sold in the auction was Arshdeep Singh, retained by Punjab Kings using the RTM (Right to Match) card for ₹18 crore.

Ishan Kishan will now don the Sunrisers Hyderabad jersey after being signed for ₹11.25 crore.

Formerly bought by Mumbai Indians in 2022 for ₹15.25 crore, MI didn’t pursue him aggressively this time. Instead, they made their first significant move by acquiring Trent Boult for ₹12.50 crore.

Day 1 showcased intense bidding wars, setting the stage for another action-packed day in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction.