The IPL Auction 2025 had a thrilling first day of bidding wars. Rishabh Pant stole the spotlight as the costliest IPL player ever. The Lucknow Super Giants bought the wicketkeeper-batter for ₹27 crore, a new record. Earlier, IPL 2024 champion Shreyas Iyer had broken the record with a ₹26.75 crore bid by Punjab Kings. The defending champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders, stirred debate. They signed all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crore.
The first 12 sets, consisting of 84 players, went under the hammer on Day 1, with 72 of them finding teams. In Jeddah, the Abadi Al Johar arena hosted an auction. Franchises strategized to build strong squads for the next IPL season.
Pant and Iyer Break Records on Day 1
Day 1 began with fireworks. Two marquee players, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, shattered IPL auction records. The Lucknow Super Giants made Pant the most expensive player in IPL history with a massive ₹27 crore bid. Just before, Punjab Kings had bid ₹26.75 crore for Iyer, the captain of last season’s title-winning team.
Another major highlight was Venkatesh Iyer’s return to KKR for ₹23.75 crore. It made him the most expensive non-marquee player. These record bids show a rising demand for Indian players in T20 cricket. Fans want all-rounders and wicketkeeper-batters most.
Marquee Players Lead the Way
The marquee players delivered some of the most exciting moments of the auction. Punjab Kings dominated with two big buys. They are Shreyas Iyer for ₹26.75 crore and Yuzvendra Chahal for ₹18 crore. Lucknow Super Giants made headlines with their ₹27 crore bid for Rishabh Pant. Gujarat Titans picked up Jos Buttler for ₹15.75 crore.
High bids went for Indian bowlers. Arshdeep Singh went for ₹18 crore to Punjab Kings. Mohammed Shami went for ₹10 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad. This shows that T20 teams still value fast bowlers.
Uncapped Players Steal the Show
The uncapped players category saw much action. Teams wanted to invest in emerging talent. Rasikh Salam Dar was the top uncapped player on Day 1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed him for ₹6 crore. Punjab Kings made a strong move by acquiring Nehal Wadhera for ₹4.20 crore. Abdul Samad went to Lucknow Super Giants for the same amount.
1. Chennai Super Kings
2.Delhi Capitals
3.Gujarat Titans
4.Kolkata Knight Riders
5.Lucknow Super Giants
6.Mumbai Indians
7.Punjab Kings
8.Royal Challengers Bangalore
9. Rajasthan Royals
10. Sunrisers Hyderabad
