India’s Rishabh Pant becomes the most expensive player in IPL history

Lucknow picks Pant for a grounds $3.2m successful nan IPL auction, followed by Shreyas Iyer astatine $3.17m, taken by Punjab.

Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has go nan astir costly subordinate successful Indian Premier League (IPL) history aft being sold for a grounds $3.2m arsenic teams splashed retired connected world-class cricketers for nan lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

A full of 577 players are up for grabs astatine nan two-day auction which began successful Jeddah connected Sunday.

Pant, England seasoned James Anderson and New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra are among nan apical names connected nan auction list.

The 2023 grounds of $2.98m, paid by Kolkata Knight Riders for Australian gait bowler Mitchell Starc, was first breached by Punjab Kings, which snapped up Shreyas Iyer for $3.17m. Iyer, 29, captained Kolkata Knight Riders to their 3rd IPL crown this year.

The bidding warfare intensified for Pant, who captained Delhi Capitals crossed 3 seasons but was released earlier this year’s mega auction and nan Kolkata grounds for Iyer quickly tumbled.

The IPL reported Lucknow Super Giants paid a “gigantic” $3.2m for nan 27-year-old keeper-batsman.

Lucknow made nan first move and fought disconnected bids from Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad arsenic good arsenic Delhi to statement successful nan subordinate celebrated for his six-hitting expertise and is apt to lead nan franchise successful nan adjacent season.

🚨 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 🚨

𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝘽𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 🥁 🥁

𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝘁 to 𝗟𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 for a gigantic 𝗜𝗡𝗥 𝟮𝟳 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗲 🔝⚡️ #TATAIPLAuction | #TATAIPL | @RishabhPant17 | @LucknowIPL |… pic.twitter.com/IE8DabNn4V

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 24, 2024

The auction started connected a sizzling statement erstwhile Indian speedy Arshdeep Singh’s sanction began a bidding war, which ended pinch Punjab getting nan left-arm gait bowler for $2.13m.

This year, Australian left-arm speedy Starc was not retained by Kolkata. He went to Delhi Capitals for $1.39m.

Gujarat Titans paid $1.87m for England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler, while India gait bowler Mohammed Shami went to Sunrisers Hyderabad for $1.18m.

Shami, 34, has recovered from a ft wounded and is expected to subordinate nan Test squad successful nan ongoing bid successful Australia.

The IPL has generated billions successful gross since its inception successful 2008, turning nan Board of Control for Cricket successful India (BCCI) into 1 of nan richest governing bodies successful sport.

In June 2022, it sold nan broadcast authorities for 5 IPL seasons to world media giants for $6.2bn.