IPL 2025 Auction went underway on Sunday with 10 franchises bidding for their preferred players to play for their team. On IPL 2025 Auction Day 1, a total of 84 players (72 sold and 12 unsold) went under the hammer. Teams spent a whopping sum of Rs 467.95 crore. The remaining players will go under the hammer on Monday on IPL Auctions 2025 Day 2. It includes former England great bowler James Anderson.
Before the start of the IPL 2025 Auction, BCCI introduced new rules to it and it included RTM options i.e. Right To Match. RTM or Right To Match is an option provided by the BCCI to all the 10 franchises which they can use for any player part of their team in the previous season. RTM allows franchises to retain one of the players they had released at the auction, on the condition they did not retain a full quota of six players.
Based on the rule, a franchise can use the option to match the highest bid for the player at the auction, who was part of their squad in the previous season. BCCI changed the rule of RTM as well. The Indian Cricketing Body allowed the team placing the original bid on the player to go one bid higher after the RTM card is used. If the franchise then considers to match the higher bid at the auction, they will retain the player, or else the player will join the team placing the original bid. IPL 2025 Auction witnessed many franchises using Right To Match power.
On Day 1, Team India star wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the IPL Auction history. The 27-year-old cricketer was bought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at a whopping Rs 27 crore.
Rishabh Pant's name triggered a bidding war between the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). While RCB went for Rishabh Pant till INR 10 crore, LSG continued to up its bid. After RCB pulled itself out from the bidding war, Kavya Maran-led SRH joined the bidding war.
SRH bid for 'RP' till Rs 20 crore but LSG continued to bid high. Finally, LSG secured Rishabh Pant at Rs 20.75 crore. However, Delhi Capitals, Pant's former franchise used its RTM. Hence, LSG increased its bid to a whopping INR 27 crore. As a result, DC pulled itself out of the bidding war. This is how Sanjeev Goenka-led LSG secured these services of Rishabh Pant at a whopping Rs 27 crore.
Before Rishabh Pant, it was Shreyas Iyer who became the most expensive player. Iyer was sold at whopping Rs 26.75 crore to Punjab Kings (PBKS) led by Preity Zinta. However, after few minutes it was Rishabh Pant who became IPL Auction most expensive player.
There is a major buzz among fans on social media on former English bowler James Anderson who has registered himself for IPL 2025 auction. The 42-year-old English bowler did not go under the hammer on IPL 2025 Day 1. However, it is expected that James Anderson will go under the hammer on IPL 2025 Auction Day 2. Many cricket experts have expressed that MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings might bid for Jimmy Anderson on IPL 2025 Day 2. However, Cricket Addictor report suggests that Anderson's IPL Auction 2025 registration has been cancelled due to his age. Notably, True Scoop News cannot verify the claims as most reports suggest that the English great will be part of IPL 2025 Auctions.