Rishabh Pant sets record as most expensive player in IPL history during mega auction day 1

The IPL 2025 Mega Auction began with record-breaking bids on Day 1. Rishabh Pant was sold to Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Shreyas Iyer followed closely with a ₹24.75 crore deal to Punjab Kings. A total of ₹467.95 crore was spent on 72 players during the auction. Other notable acquisitions included KL Rahul to Delhi Capitals for ₹14 crore and Jos Buttler to Gujarat Titans for ₹15.75 crore. Twelve players, including David Warner, went unsold. The auction featured 574 players, with 204 slots available. Teams retained 46 players before the auction, leaving a total purse of ₹641.5 crore. Day 2 is expected to see intense bidding for remaining star players.