The IPL 2025 Mega Auction, held in Jeddah on November 24-25, 2024, witnessed a flurry of high-stakes bidding, resulting in record-breaking purchases as franchises aimed to strengthen their squads for the upcoming season.
The IPL auction highlighted the increasing financial clout of franchises and the intense competition to secure top talent.
Here’s a detailed look at the top 20 buys from the auction.
Top 20 Buys from IPL 2025 Auction
The auction was marked by several standout purchases, with teams willing to spend significantly to acquire key players. Below is the list of the top 20 players bought during the IPL 2025 auction, along with their base prices and winning bids:
| Player Name | Team | Winning Bid (₹) |
| Rishabh Pant | Lucknow Super Giants | ₹27,00,00,000 |
| Shreyas Iyer | Punjab Kings | ₹26,75,00,000 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | Kolkata Knight Riders | ₹23,75,00,000 |
| Arshdeep Singh | Punjab Kings | ₹18,00,00,000 (RTM) |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Punjab Kings | ₹18,00,00,000 |
| Jos Buttler | Gujarat Titans | ₹15,75,00,000 |
| KL Rahul | Delhi Capitals | ₹14,00,00,000 |
| Trent Boult | Rajasthan Royals | ₹12,50,00,000 |
| Jofra Archer | Delhi Capitals | ₹12,50,00,000 |
| Josh Hazlewood | Chennai Super Kings | ₹12,50,00,000 |
| Mohammad Siraj | Gujarat Titans | ₹12,25,00,000 |
| Mitchell Starc | Delhi Capitals | ₹11,75,00,000 |
| Phil Salt | Rajasthan Royals | ₹11,50,00,000 |
| Ishan Kishan | Sunrisers Hyderabad | ₹11,25,00,000 |
| Marcus Stoinis | Punjab Kings | ₹11.00 Crore |
| Jitesh Sharma | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | ₹11.00 Crore |
| T. Natarajan | Delhi Capitals | ₹10.75 Crore |
| Kagiso Rabada | Gujarat Titans | ₹10.75 Crore |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | ₹10.75 Crore |
| Noor Ahmad | Chennai Super Kings | ₹10.0 Crore |
Highlights of the IPL 2025 Auction
- Record-Breaking Buys: Rishabh Pant’s acquisition for a staggering ₹27 crore by Lucknow Super Giants set a new record for the highest bid in IPL history. This surpassed Shreyas Iyer’s previous record of ₹26.75 crore, also set during this auction when he was bought by Punjab Kings.
- Punjab Kings’ Dominance: The Punjab Kings made headlines with their strategic purchases of Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal for ₹18 crore each using their Right to Match (RTM) card and through direct bids.
- Strong Competition for Bowlers: Fast bowlers like Trent Boult and Jofra Archer attracted significant bids of ₹12.50 crore, reflecting teams’ focus on strengthening their bowling line-ups.
- Emerging Stars: Players like Venkatesh Iyer and Arshdeep Singh demonstrated that franchises are willing to invest in emerging talent alongside established stars.
- Franchise Strategies: Teams displayed varying strategies; while some focused on acquiring big names like Jos Buttler and KL Rahul for substantial sums (₹15.75 crore and ₹14 crore respectively), others capitalized on retaining key players through RTM cards.
