IPL 2025 Auction: Rishabh Pant And KL Rahul Among Top Ten Batters Commanding Premium Prices

The IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was a grand affair, with all ten teams spending heavily to secure top batters. Batters are crucial for boosting team scores, and franchises didn't hesitate to invest significantly. Over two days, 116 players were auctioned.

High-impact Indian and international players drew significant attention. The upcoming season will reveal how these batters perform. Let's explore the ten most expensive batters from this auction.

Rishabh Pant became the auction's priciest player, joining Lucknow Super Giants after an intense bidding war. The franchise outbid Delhi Capitals by paying INR 27 crore for the Indian wicketkeeper-batter. This made Pant the most expensive player in IPL history.

Pant has scored 3,284 runs in 111 IPL matches and is known for his fearless batting and leadership skills. Delhi Capitals tried to retain him using the Right to Match card but were unsuccessful against Lucknow's determination.

After leading Kolkata Knight Riders to victory last season, Shreyas Iyer moved to Punjab Kings for INR 26.75 crore. The right-handed batter has scored 3,127 runs in 116 IPL games and is expected to captain Punjab Kings in the next season.

The Mohali-based team hopes his leadership will help them win their first title since being runners-up in 2014.

Jos Buttler - INR 15.75 Crore (Gujarat Titans)

England's Jos Buttler joined Gujarat Titans for ₹15.75 crore. Known for his powerful hitting, Buttler won the Orange Cap in 2022 with 3,582 runs and seven centuries in 107 IPL matches.

The Ahmedabad-based team valued his ability to change games with aggressive cricket and sought his signature eagerly.

KL Rahul - INR 14 Crore (Delhi Capitals)

KL Rahul will play for Delhi Capitals after leaving Lucknow Super Giants. Speculation suggested Royal Challengers Bengaluru might pursue him, but Delhi secured him for INR 14 crore.

Rahul has vast IPL experience with 4,683 runs in 132 matches and is likely to lead the Delhi franchise.

Phil Salt - INR 11.50 Crore (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

Phil Salt attracted significant interest after being released by Kolkata Knight Riders. Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed him for INR 11.50 crore at the auction.

The English player had an impressive 2024 season with a strike rate of 182 and scored six half-centuries in the IPL.

Ishan Kishan - INR 11.25 Crore (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Ishan Kishan joined Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 11.25 crore after Mumbai Indians released him due to a lackluster season where he scored only one fifty.

Kishan has accumulated over 2,644 runs in his IPL career and hopes to regain form with SRH as they aim for success next season.

Jitesh Sharma - INR 11 Crore (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

Despite a poor performance last season, Jitesh Sharma fetched INR 11 crore from Royal Challengers Bengaluru due to his explosive middle-order batting skills.

Punjab Kings used their RTM card but RCB eventually secured him after he scored at a strike rate of over 151 across his appearances.

Jake Fraser-McGurk - INR 9 Crore (Delhi Capitals)

Delhi Capitals retained Jake Fraser-McGurk using their RTM card for INR 9 crore, making him the most expensive Australian batter at this auction.

The young Australian impressed last season with aggressive batting and four half-centuries at a strike rate of over 230 across nine games.

David Miller - INR 7.50 Crore (Lucknow Super Giants)

The experienced South African batter David Miller joined Lucknow Super Giants for ₹7.50 crore, adding depth to their middle order which lacked balance last season when they finished seventh on points table.

Miller's finishing skills are expected to enhance LSG's performance as he brings experience from scoring nearly three thousand runs in IPL history.

Devon Conway - INR 6.25 Crore (Chennai Super Kings)

New Zealand opener Devon Conway returned to Chennai Super Kings after a bidding war with Punjab Kings ended at INR6 .25 crores favoring CSK who valued his contribution during their title-winning campaign where he averaged over fifty per innings while scoring six half-centuries throughout that successful run together previously