IPL auction 2025 Day 1 Highlights: Highest bids, key buys and more

Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League as he was signed by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore on the first day of the the mega auction in Saudi Arabia.

Australia left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, who held the record prior to the auction, was signed for Rs 11.75 crore by Delhi Capitals.

Here are all the important takeaways from Day 1 of the IPL mega auction.

Record-breaking Bids: Rishabh Pant (Rs 27 crore) and Shreyas Iyer (Rs 26.75 crore) smashed auction records, becoming the most expensive picks of the day.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Surprise Move: KKR stunned everyone by snapping up Venkatesh Iyer for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore, making him one of the biggest stories of the auction.

Gujarat Titans’ Quality Haul: The defending champion strengthened its squad with marquee names like Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj.

Punjab Kings’ Spending Spree: Entering with the largest purse, PBKS was aggressive, acquiring big names like Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, and Vyshak Vijaykumar.

Chennai Super Kings Focus on Spin: CSK bolstered its bowling attack, reuniting with Ravichandran Ashwin and adding young spinner Noor Ahmad to its arsenal.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Invest in Youth and Experience: SRH made a statement by securing Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami with hefty bids.

Rajasthan Royals Go Big on Pace: RR prioritised its bowling unit, making Jofra Archer its marquee buy of the day.

Lucknow Super Giants’ Balanced Approach: LSG added a mix of experience and explosiveness with Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Marsh, Avesh Khan, Aiden Markram, and David Miller.

Mumbai Indians’ Selective Purchases: MI kept things minimal, picking just four players, including Trent Boult, its only overseas addition so far.

RCB’s Cautious Tactics: With Rs 30.65 crore remaining and all three RTMs unused, RCB heads into Day 2 with the largest remaining purse. However, RCB did land a couple of big signings in Josh Hazlewood and Liam Livingstone.