KL Rahul Sold For Rs 29.5 Crore In IPL Mock Auction, Rishabh Pant Gets Mouth-Watering Fee Of...

Rishabh Pant is widely expected to go for an exorbitant amount in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, and the mock auction conducted by auction broadcasters Star Sports and JioCinema showed that many cricket experts also believe the same. Coming up in the first set of marquee players, Pant was bought for a mind-boggling INR 33 crore by Punjab Kings (PBKS), represented by Eoin Morgan. Fellow wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul also received an incredible sum of INR 29.5 crore, being purchased by Royal Challengers (RCB) represented by their former head coach Mike Hesson.

Pant parted ways with Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL mega auction, and has even clarified on social media that money wasn't the factor behind his decision. However, being arguably the biggest name in the auction, Pant is still expected to fetch a huge fee.

PBKS boast the highest auction purse of any team, with Rs 110.5 cr, and are likely to go all-out for Pant with former DC head coach Ricky Ponting now with them.

"I anticipated his price to soar between Rs 26 and Rs 29 crore, but his eventual price was a record-shattering Rs 33 crore—deservedly so. Rishabh is not just a top-order left-handed batsman but also one of the most explosive players in modern cricket. Coupled with his captaincy credentials and the potential to serve for years to come, he's akin to securing a young MS Dhoni. This is a strategic long-term investment, focused on building a robust foundation for the future. In my view, players like Pant are simply invaluable," said Morgan, in the mock auction hosted by Star Sports and Jio Cinema.

On the other hand, KL Rahul's stock may also be higher following a very impressive showing in the ongoing India-Australia first Test at