IPL Auction 2025: Top 5 most expensive players

The Indian Premier League Auction (IPL) 2025 saw some huge names being part of the action. Over 500 players went under the hammer as ten teams fought for the signature of some of the biggest names in the history of cricket. After the retention and release that took place on 31st October some huge names were up for grabs during the auctions. 

Rishabh Pant came into the auction after he parted ways with Delhi Capitals. The 27-year-old recently replied to Sunil Gavaskar on social media saying that his departure wasn’t due to ‘Financial reasons’. The likes of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer on the other hand were let go by their respective teams in what was on expected lines. 

Jos Buttler who has been a huge name for Rajasthan Royals since 2018 was one of the most shocking names to be released. The English white-ball skipper is one of the most destructive batters in the history of the tournament. Mitchell Starc who was picked up for INR 24.75 Crores by KKR was released at the end of the season. The Australian star was the costliest player to be purchased in the history of the league. 

Here are the top 5 expensive players of the IPL Auction 2025

Yuzvendra Chahal -  INR 18 Crores - Punjab Kings

Out of favour, Indian star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was picked by Punjab Kings for INR 18 Crores. The 34-year-old began his stint with Mumbai Indians before moving to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In the last few years, Chahal was with Rajasthan Royals where he became the first bowler to pick 200 wickets in the league. The move to Punjab makes them a stronger unit as Chahal can not only pick wickets but also maintain a steady economy rate. So far Chahal has played 160 games in the IPL and picked 205 wickets with a best of 5/40 and has an economy of 7.84 runs per over.

Arshdeep Singh -18 Crores - Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings used the Right to Match (RTM) to bring back India's leading pacer in the T20 format. Arshdeep Singh was brought back to the franchise for a massive INR 18 Crores in what is a smart business by Preity Zinta and the rest of the team management. Arshdeep was the first player to be auctioned and it was a hotly contested affair which the Kings nicked in the end. 

In just over two years since his debut for India, young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has become a key member of the side. Arshdeep Singh was let go by Punjab Kings after the IPL 2024 season. The 25-year-old has played a total of 65 IPL games so far and picked 76 wickets with a best of 5/32 with an economy rate of 9. 

Venkatesh Iyer – 23.75 Crores

One of the biggest purchases of the day was by Kolkata Knight Riders who got their former player Venkatesh Iyer. The 29-year-old was purchased for INR 23.75 Crores which was the third highest of the day on Sunday. Venkatesh Iyer was a key player during the IPL 2024 season with 370 runs from 15 matches. The left-handed batter also smashed four half-centuries with an average of 46 and a strike rate of 158. So far Iyer has played 51 matches for KKR and scored 1326 runs with one century and 11 fifties with an average of 31 and a strike rate of 137. 

Shreyas Iyer - 26.75 Crores

Former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer was picked by Punjab Kings during the IPL Auction 2025 on Sunday. The 29-year-old was brought for a record price of INR 26.75 Crores as Delhi Capitals, and Kolkata Knight Riders joined the bidding. With the price going past the 24.75 Crores that was paid for Mitchell Starc there was a huge cheer in the crowd. In the end, there was a huge smile on Preity Zinta as she got one of the most wanted players in the league. Shreyas Iyer brings a lot of captaincy experience apart from his fantastic batting skills. Iyer has played a total of 115 games in the IPL and scored 3127 runs with 21 fifties. 

Rishabh Pant - 27 Crores

Indian cricket star Rishabh Pant broke the record set by former teammate Shreyas Iyer's 26.75 Crore purchase. Lucknow Super Giants shelled out INR 27 Crores for the left-handed batter and wicketkeeper. Sunrisers Hyderabad pulled out of the race once the amount went past 20 Crores. In the end, the fight was between Lucknow and Delhi and the Capitals decided to use the RTM card. Lucknow though stunned the crowd with an INR 27 Crore bid which Delhi refused to match and the player was sold to LSG to huge cheers from the fans. So far the 27-year-old has played 111 games and scored 3284 runs with one century and 18 fifties with an average of 35.