The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, held on November 24 and 25, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, witnessed significant player movements and record-breaking bids. A total of 1,574 players registered for the auction, with 574 shortlisted to feature in the event.
Notable Buys:
- Rishabh Pant: The wicketkeeper-batsman became the most expensive player in IPL history, securing a ₹27 crore (approximately £2.54 million) deal with the Lucknow Super Giants. thetimes.co.uk
- Shreyas Iyer: The stylish batsman was acquired by the Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore, briefly holding the record for the highest bid before Pant’s signing. thetimes.co.uk
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi: In a historic move, the 13-year-old batting prodigy was bought by the Rajasthan Royals for over £100,000 (approximately ₹1 crore), making him the youngest player ever selected in the IPL. thetimes.co.uk
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Strategy:
CSK entered the auction with a purse of ₹14.29 crore after retaining key players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, and Matheesha Pathirana. They made strategic buys, including:
- Noor Ahmad: The Afghan spinner was secured for ₹1.19 crore.
- Ravichandran Ashwin: The veteran all-rounder returned to CSK for ₹9.75 crore. en.wikipedia.org
- Rachin Ravindra: CSK utilized their Right-to-Match (RTM) card to reacquire the all-rounder for ₹4.8 crore.
Other Highlights:
- Heinrich Klaasen: The South African wicketkeeper-batsman became the most expensive retained player in IPL history, earning ₹20 crore. en.wikipedia.org
- Virat Kohli: The Indian batting maestro was retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹17 crore, making him the highest-paid Indian player in the league. en.wikipedia.org
The auction underscored the IPL’s growing financial prowess and its appeal to both seasoned and emerging cricketers worldwide.
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