Shreyas Iyer exposes secret talks with PBKS, DC before IPL 2025 mega auction

Shreyas Iyer has made some shocking revelations after taking the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the IPL 2025 final, where they lost the title to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Shreyas Iyer entered the IPL 2025 mega auction as the IPL-winning captain, parting ways with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He had set his base price at INR 2 crore but ended up becoming the most expensive player in IPL history with INR 26.75 crore after Punjab Kings broke the bank for the Mumbai star. Notably, Rishabh Pant was the most expensive, with INR 27 crore.

The Indian batter was the center of the fiercest bidding war at the mega auction last year. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) started the bid with an aim to retain their title-winning captain. Punjab Kings jumped in immediately, pushing the bid past INR 5 crore in minutes.

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How a bidding war broke out for Shreyas Iyer at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction

As both franchises battled it out, PBKS took the lead at INR 6 crore, but KKR refused to back down. The price soon reached INR 7.25 crore before PBKS temporarily dropped out. And then, Delhi Capitals joined the bidding war. DC and KKR went head-to-head, with bids climbing to INR 10 crore.

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At that point, KKR, after internal discussions, decided to withdraw, leaving DC in the lead. But PBKS rejoined the contest, as they needed a strong captain after parting ways with Rishabh Pant. The bidding war between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals saw the bid jump in crores every few seconds from INR 13 crore to INR 15 crore, INR 20 crore, and a whopping INR 23 crore.

DC pushed again to INR 24.5 crore and then INR 25 crore. But PBKS wasn’t done yet. They raised the bid to INR 26.25 crore. DC took a moment to decide and raised the paddle with INR 26.50 crore, but PBKS fired back with a jaw-dropping INR 26.75 crore, and Delhi backed down.

I knew that I was going to go in either of the two teams -Shreyas Iyer

Now, Shreyas Iyer revealed that he was in talks with both PBKS and DC ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, and he already knew that he would go to either of those sides.

Iyer told PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta during a conversation, “Over the top with the amount in my mind, I knew that I was going to go in either of the two teams, DC or Punjab. When I got out of KKR, I knew that it was either of the two because I was in communication with both of them. My reaction was, firstly, I was thankful to PBKS.”

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He was in talks with both DC & Punjab before the auction

fir toh mama ko shreyas pe sirf 10 cr tak bid karne ke liye criticise karne ka koi matlab nahi 🙏 https://t.co/a364XtaJ1C

— Sharjeel. (@SharjeelxKR) June 6, 2025

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What was the IPL 2021 episode?

In IPL 2021, Delhi Capitals made a bold call. Shreyas Iyer, who had led them to the 2020 final, got injured before the 2021 season, and they handed the captaincy reins to Rishabh Pant.

But even after Iyer recovered and returned, DC decided to continue with Pant as captain for the rest of the season. This shocking call didn’t go down well with Iyer, and he joined the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2022 season.