Day 1 of the IPL 2025 mega auction at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah witnessed intense bidding as 84 players went under the hammer, with 81 securing contracts, including 30 overseas stars. Franchises spent a staggering INR 497.60 crore, reshaping squads for the upcoming season.
Punjab Kings were the most active, acquiring 10 players, while Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals each signed nine. Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians were the most conservative, purchasing just five and four players, respectively. Punjab Kings, armed with the largest budget, splurged INR 88 crore to secure eight players, while Mumbai Indians, working with a limited purse, spent only INR 18.90 crore.
Among the most notable signings, Rishabh Pant emerged as the auction’s star, with Lucknow Super Giants acquiring him for an astounding INR 27 crore. Punjab Kings secured Shreyas Iyer for INR 26.75 crore, and Kolkata Knight Riders re-signed Venkatesh Iyer for INR 23.75 crore. KL Rahul joined Delhi Capitals for INR 14 crore.
Here’s the financial standing of all franchises after the first day of bidding:
The auction will continue today, with players numbered 85 to 564 up for bidding. Following this will be an accelerated auction, conducted in two phases. Franchises will first submit a list of their preferred players from those remaining, which will guide the initial phase of the accelerated auction. In the second phase, all unsold players from earlier rounds will also be available for bidding.
The stakes remain high as teams fine-tune their line-ups for the 2025 season.
