Rishabh Pant shattered records to become the most expensive player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) secured him for an astonishing ₹27 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction. The bidding battle between LSG and Sunrisers Hyderabad was intense, with the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise initially leading with a ₹20.75 crore (2,445,000 $) bid. However, Delhi Capitals exercised their Right to Match (RTM) card, pushing LSG to raise their final offer to ₹27 crore (3,195,000 $) to clinch Pant.
Reflecting on the acquisition, Sanjiv Goenka clarified that the hefty bid was part of their calculated auction strategy. He highlighted that no vanity or ego drove their determination to sign Pant, stating that the wicketkeeper-batter was a pivotal element in their pre-auction plans.
Goenka explained, “We had structured the auction in a certain way and Pant was an integral part of our plans. We had done some budgeting for him.”
Goenka also addressed the broader auction strategy, mentioning the franchise's focus on team balance over individual player prices. He noted, "We couldn’t get Bhuvneshwar Kumar, so we went for Akash Deep instead. Spending ₹9.75 crore on Avesh Khan and ₹8 crore on Akash Deep fulfilled our need for two Indian pacers. This wasn’t about making Pant the most expensive player—it’s about how the team performs and maintains its balance."
LSG emerged from the auction with 19 new players, complementing their retained core of five: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, and Ayush Badoni. Pant was their priciest buy, with Avesh Khan and Akash Deep following at ₹9.75 crore and ₹8 crore, respectively.
Although the likely opening combination of Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram isn’t considered the strongest in the league, Pant’s addition bolsters the squad. With Pooran in the mix, both players are expected to shoulder significant responsibility for LSG's success in IPL 2025.