IPL Auction 2025: Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul bought by PBKS, RCB for INR 33 crore & INR 29.5 crore

The star India National Cricket Team players Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul were roped in for whopping amounts at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mock auction conducted by broadcasters Star Sports and JioCinema.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) roped in Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul at the Indian Premier League mock auction a day before the main auction.

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IPL Auction 2025 set to be held on November 24 and 25

The Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction is set to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is only the second time that the auction is being held overseas.

A total of 1574 players registered for the auction, and the BCCI trimmed down the list to 577 players, out of which 367 are Indians and 210 are overseas players.

This time around, all the 10 teams have a budget of INR 120 crore. After the retentions, the Punjab Kings have the biggest purse of INR 110.5 crore, and the Rajasthan Royals have the lowest purse of INR 41 crore.

His eventual price was a record-shattering Rs 33 crore—deservedly - Eoin Morgan on Rishabh Pant

The wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will be entering the auction after his exit from the Delhi Capitals (DC). He was not retained by the franchise and the star wicketkeeper-batsman himself revealed that his exit had nothing to do with money.

Many experts have predicted that he will be the most expensive player at the auction and at the mock auction, he actually got sold for a record-breaking price.

The legendary England National Cricket Team skipper Eoin Morgan, who was representing Punjab Kings, bought Rishabh Pant for INR 33 crore.

Eoin Morgan stated that Pant deserves a big amount because he is a younger version of MS Dhoni.

"I anticipated his price to soar between Rs 26 and Rs 29 crore, but his eventual price was a record-shattering Rs 33 crore—deservedly so. Rishabh is not just a top-order left-handed batsman but also one of the most explosive players in modern cricket.

"Coupled with his captaincy credentials and the potential to serve for years to come, he's akin to securing a young MS Dhoni. This is a strategic long-term investment, focused on building a robust foundation for the future. In my view, players like Pant are simply invaluable," said Morgan, in the mock auction hosted by Star Sports and Jio Cinema.

Rishabh Pant is surely going to break the bank! 🤯🤯🤯

Catch the #IPLAuction LIVE tomorrow from 2:30 PM, only on #JioCinema & #StarSports 👈#IPLAuctiononJioStar #JioCinemaSports #TATAIPLAuction #MegaAuctionWarRoom pic.twitter.com/reUu2e19ny

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) November 23, 2024

At 32, Rahul brings experience and the ability to anchor the innings post-Virat's era - Mike Hesson

Another prominent name in the auction is KL Rahul, who parted ways with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) following a breakdown in their relationship.

Apart from being an extremely talented batsman, KL Rahul brings leadership skills with him. He was roped in by Mike Hesson, who was representing RCB at the mock auction, for INR 29.5 crore.

"RCB would ideally prioritize Rishabh Pant to ensure continuity after Virat Kohli, especially for long-term stability. I personally bid up to ₹32.5 crore for Pant but wouldn't have stretched as much for KL Rahul. At 32, Rahul brings experience and the ability to anchor the innings post-Virat's era. As a local talent, he also fills the critical wicket-keeping slot left vacant by DK's exit. While RCB would likely bid aggressively for him, the final price would hinge on the dynamics and unpredictability of the auction," said Hesson after acquiring KL Rahul.

Talking more about the mock auction, Sanjay Bangar bought Shreyas Iyer for INR 21 crore while representing Kolkata Knight Riders. Also, Mitchell Starc (INR 18 crore), Arshdeep Singh (INR 16.5 crore), and Yuzvendra Chahal (INR 15 crore) got big amounts.