Rishabh Pant became the most expensive IPL player Sunday when he sold for a record $3.2 million as teams spent big on world-class cricketers for the lucrative Twenty20 event. The two-day auction in Jeddah features 577 participants, including Pant, Anderson, and Ravindra.
The IPL stated Punjab Kings bought Shreyas Iyer for a “handsome” 267.5 million rupees ($3.17 million), breaking Kolkata’s 2023 record of 247.5 million rupees for Mitchell Starc.
Iyer, 29, led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title. New Punjab coach Ricky Ponting, who left Delhi Capitals after this season, said Shreyas will be captain if he agrees.
“I have worked with him three or four years at Delhi and obviously he is a championship winning captain from last season,” he said.
“We have got someone there that can do the job if that’s the way we decide to go, so I am delighted to have him back.”
Lucknow Super Giants paid “gigantic” 270 million rupees for 27-year-old Pant, according to the IPL.
“Rishabh’s history in the IPL and in cricket is unparallelled in terms of his skill, what he brings to the table,” Lucknow owner Shashwat Goenka said of the record buy.
I think he arrived as expected. We are thrilled to have him on the team.”
Pant returned to professional cricket in the IPL following a horrific automobile tragedy in December 2022. After captaining Delhi Capitals, he left. After a heated bidding war with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer won the bid for $2.81 million to Kolkata.
Venkatesh, a left-hand hitter and right-arm medium pace bowler who Kolkata released but purchased back, was the third-highest buy of the day. Indian speedster Arshdeep Singh triggered a bidding war that concluded with Punjab buying the left-arm pace bowler for $2.13 million.
Kolkata lost Starc to Delhi for $1.39 million this year. Quick fellow Bengaluru paid $1.48 million for Josh Hazlewood, while Rajasthan Royals paid the same for Jofra Archer.
Five-time champion Mumbai Indians signed Trent Boult for $1.48 million. Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad joined five-time champions Chennai Super Kings for $1.18 million.
England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler cost Gujarat Titans $1.87 million, while Mohammed Shami cost Sunrisers Hyderabad $1.18 million. David Warner and Jonny Bairstow went unsold but could return later in the auction. Since 2008, the IPL has earned billions, making the BCCI one of the richest sports regulatory organizations.
It sold five IPL seasons to global media conglomerates for $6.2 billion in June 2022. By holding the auction abroad, the BCCI hopes to promote the competition. International cricket tournaments are often hosted in Dubai, where it was last year. There are many possible fans among its migrant workers, like Saudi Arabia.
The auction in Jeddah benefits a tournament developing globally and a kingdom embracing sports to improve its image. Indian cricket’s IPL generates about $11 billion annually. The IPL popularized Twenty20 cricket worldwide, inspiring imitation events. Next year’s IPL dates are unknown, but seasons normally stretch from March to May.
