The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 The auction witnessed a seismic shift in the cricketing landscape Rishabh pants became the highest winning player in the history of the tournament. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) broke records by acquiring Indian porter-fruit services for an unprecedented 27 crores.
Intense bidding war for Rishabh Pant in IPL 2025 mega auction
The auction in Saudi Arabia featured intense drama with Pant at the center of a fierce bidding war between LSG and LSG. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The deal stunned cricket fans and analysts alike, with LSG’s decisive bid underscoring their ambitions to dominate the season ahead.
Released by Pant Delhi Capitals (DC) He became the most wanted player at the auction earlier this year. Speculation was rife as to where the dynamic corpse would land, and as expected, the bidding was fierce. While SRH challenged LSG initially, the real drama unfolded when DC used their Right to Match (RTM) card, re-igniting the Contest. The bidding quickly rose to INR 22 crore and DC’s partner Part Jindal Pant had no hesitation in pushing the limits to save. However, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenkas calculated strategy was decisive.
The science behind the INR 27 crore bid
in an interview with Ranveer AllahbadiaGoenka shed light on the meticulous planning behind the monumental proposal. According to Goenka, extensive calculations were done to determine DC’s financial capacity and emotional attachment to Pant.
“There was science behind going for 27 Cr for Rishabh Pant. Delhi went for 26.5 Cr for Shreyas Iyer. So my feeling was, “Parth Jindal is so crazy about Rishabh Pant that he will go up quite a bit in the IPL Auction.” So the idea was to go two or even three above Parth and he would stop there. For Rishabh, we had calculated three scenarios and in all of them he was very important to us.” Goenka said.
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Sanjiv Goenka shares his basic thought process
Goenka further revealed that LSG has budgeted INR 25-27 crore specifically for Pant, reflecting the franchise’s commitment to getting an Indian anchor around whom the team can revolve.
“We knew we were going to get him and we had between 25 and 27 million saved for him in all our plans. So when the bidding for Rishabh stalled at 21-22 Cr, DC didn’t waste a second to use RTM for it. That means they were willing to go as far as we had to take Rishabh.” LSG owner added.
Goenka highlighted the important role Pant will play in building the LSG. Goenka acknowledged DC’s eagerness to retain Pant, but speculated that behind-the-scenes circumstances may have influenced their failure to retain him earlier.
“But whatever the circumstances, he was not detained or Rishabh did not want to be detained. It is not appropriate for me to discuss or comment on this, but they were enthusiastic. If you look at Parth’s reaction, it looks more like a done deal. Looking at all these, we felt that 27 Cr is a valid proposition. If Rishabh had not come to us, LSG would have missed an Indian anchor around whom the entire team was built.
Remarkable turnaround and recent form by Pant
Pant’s journey to becoming the highest paid player in the IPL is inspiring. After a fatal car accident in December 2022, the cricketer faced a grueling recovery year. However, his comeback in IPL 2024 was spectacular. Pant, who led the Capitals, amassed 446 runs in 13 innings at an amazing strike rate of 155.40, including three half-centuries. His performances showcased his resilience and unparalleled skill, reaffirming his status as one of the best limited-overs players in the world.
