In mega auctions, these players earn more money than IPL prize money, far behind PSL.

Published On: November 25, 2024 11:04 am

The first day of the IPL 2025 mega auction was held in the name of Indian players. On the first day of the tournament, the record for the most expensive player in IPL history was broken twice. Shreyas Iyer was acquired by Punjab Kings for Rs 26 crore (Rs 75 lakh). There was a long rivalry between Delhi Capitals and Punjab for Iyer but in the end Punjab won. Iyer broke the record of Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who was bought by KKR for Rs 24 crore (Rs 75 lakh) in the last auction.

Just minutes after Iyer broke the record, Ritha Pant’s name was called in the auction. Even before the auction, it was expected that there would be a fierce battle between multiple teams for Pant, and this proved to be true during the auction. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) first showed interest in buying Pant. After some time, when RCB bowed out, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) came in. During this period, the two teams launched a fierce competition for Pant.

SRH and LSG collide

Within a short time, the SRH and LSG teams raised their bids to Rs 20.75 crore. SRH pulled out and Delhi Capitals (DC) then tried to acquire Pant through Right-to-Match (RTM), but LSG increased the bid amount from Rs 20.75 crore to Rs 27 crore. Just like that, Pant surpassed Shreyas Iyer’s record in just a few minutes. After Pant, Venkatesh Iyer also joined Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 23 crore (Rs 7.5 million).

Pant breaks all records

Within hours of the auction starting, more than Rs 20 crore had found its way into the pockets of three players. From this one can guess why the Indian league is called a cash rich league. While the IPL cannot be compared to any other league, on the first day of the mega auction, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer were the three players who managed to raise more than the IPL prize money. Yes, the prize money for IPL 2024 is Rs 20 crore. The last time Kolkata Knight Riders won the title, they received a bonus of Rs 20 crore.

PSL miles behind

Not only that, the prize money received by the trio of Pant, Iyer and Venkatesh is many times more than the prize money of the Pakistan Super League. Rishabh Pant pocketed more than 4 times the amount in PSL 2024. Let us tell you that Islamabad United, who won the PSL Championship 2024, received Rs 413 Crore (INR).