Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of IPL as Lucknow Super Giants splurged a humongous ₹27 crore. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of IPL as Lucknow Super Giants splurged a humongous ₹27 crore to buy the flamboyant India keeper-batter in the tournament’s mega auction in Jeddah on Sunday (November 24, 2024).
The amount LSG spent for Pant ensured Shreyas Iyer’s record of being the tournament’s costliest player lasted barely a few minutes after Punjab Kings broke the bank to buy the India batter for ₹26.75 crore.
Moments before Pant emerged as the most expensive player, Iyer surpassed the record held by Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹24.75 crore in the last auction.
Pant went to LSG after his former franchise Delhi Capitals did not use the Right to Match card to buy him back.
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Starc got a much lower price this time and was sold to Delhi Capitals for ₹11.75 crore, while England’s Jos Buttler went to Gujarat Titans for ₹15.75 crore.
Among others, left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh’s consistency earned him a massive bid of ₹18 crore, also from Punjab Kings via the Right to Match card, while South African speedster Kagiso Rabada was bought for ₹10.75 crore by Gujarat Titans.
Iyer, the former Kolkata Knight Riders captain, started with a base price of Rs two crore.
Delhi Capitals had the bid at ₹26 crore for him but PBKS raised the amount to get the player.
Chennai Super Kings started with the first bid for Arshdeep, whose base price was also Rs two crore.
Eventually, after an intense bidding war, the seamer was bought back by Punjab, who exercised the right to match option to complete the deal, having released him earlier.
This is the second time an IPL auction is being held outside the country after last year’s event in Dubai.
Published – November 24, 2024 05:02 pm IST
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