After two days of non-stop action, the auction for the Indian Premier League 2025 came to an end, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As expected, the record for the costliest player ever in the league was tumbled, thanks to Rishabh Pant. Royal Challengers Bangalore, known for splurging large sums to acquire star names, remained surprisingly conservative and focused on overall team building. Moreover, it was not the Australian or English players who walked off with hefty pricetag this time. We look at seven of the most expensive players in the IPL 2025 auction.
Rishabh Pant – Lucknow Super Giants
Salary: ₹27 Crore
Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League, after Lucknow Super Giants paid a whopping ₹27 crore. Pant penned an emotional note to his boyhood club Delhi Capitals, where he was the captain ever since he made a comeback after a horrific accident.
Shreyas Iyer – Punjab Kings
Salary: ₹26.75 Crore
Despite leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL championship last year, Shreyas Iyer was not retained by the franchise. When his name popped up in the auction room, franchises got into a bidding war, as everyone wanted to have a player with proven captaincy experience in their team. Punjab Kings made a winning bid of ₹26.75 crore, as they needed a new skipper.
Venkatesh Iyer – Kolkata Knight Riders
Salary: ₹23.75 Crore
Kolkata Knight Riders showed massive faith in Venkatesh Iyer by paying ₹23.75 crore to retain him for the IPL 2025. Iyer's going for such an astronomical price has come as a shock to many, but it's not really shocking if you understand what he brings to the unit: an ability to score quickly both as an opener or a middle-order batter.
Arshdeep Singh – Punjab Kings
Salary: ₹18 Crore
Arshdeep Singh's name wasn't on the list of retentions announced by Punjab Kings. But the franchise exercised their Right to Match card to get their best fast bowler of the last few seasons at a price of ₹18 crore.
Yuzvendra Chahal – Punjab Kings
Salary: ₹18 Crore
Punjab Kings came into the auction with a plan to strengthen their bowling attack like no other team. After splurging ₹18 crore on their premium pacer Arshdeep, they spent the same amount on the willy leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who was a part of Rajasthan Royals' attack till last season.
Jos Buttler – Gujarat Titans
Salary: ₹15.75 Crore
Jos Buttler, the fiery opening batter, will be playing next season for Gujarat Titans after he was acquired for ₹15.75 crore. Buttler's form has dwindled lately, but that didn't dampen the interest of teams. He will now be opening the innings with the skipper Shubman Gill.
KL Rahul – Delhi Capitals
Salary: ₹14 Crore
In quest of a skipper after Rishabh Pant's departure, Delhi Capitals placed their faith in KL Rahul, securing his services for ₹14 crore, which might feel a tad low for the most consistent batter in the league. His strike rate has been a bone of contention but his controlled aggression will give much-needed stability to the team.
