JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Rishabh Pant set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, fetching a staggering $3.2 million from the Lucknow Super Giants during the auction on Sunday.
Pant, who previously captained the Delhi Capitals, surpassed the previous record held by Shreyas Iyer, who was sold for $3.18 million to the Punjab Kings on the opening day of this year’s cricket mega auction, which took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the first time.
Both Pant and Iyer are anticipated to take on captaincy roles for their respective teams in the IPL, often regarded as the richest domestic Twenty20 cricket league globally, which is scheduled to commence on March 14 of next year, culminating in its final on May 25.
In addition, Delhi Capitals is likely to assign captain duties to Lokesh Rahul, the former skipper of Lucknow, who was secured for $1.67 million. Among the more surprising developments during the auction was the sale of all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who drew intense bidding and was eventually bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for $2.83 million, amid competition from his former team and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The Gujarat Titans acquired Jos Buttler for $1.88 million, after missing out on the England captain in the bidding war with Rajasthan Royals. Buttler is anticipated to open the batting alongside Shubman Gill. Additionally, Gujarat managed to buy South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada for $1.28 million.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s acquisition of Mitchell Starc for $1.40 million represents a significant decline from the record-setting $2.98 million that Kolkata had shelled out for the Australian fast bowler last season.
Notably, David Warner from Australia and England’s Jonny Bairstow went unsold on the first day of the auction, indicating a lack of interest from any of the ten franchises.
Ravichandran Ashwin, the off-spinner, returned to Chennai Super Kings for the first time since 2015, securing a deal worth $1.16 million—the highest price he has ever received in IPL auction history.
The auction concludes on Monday, promising more exciting developments in the cricketing world.