Rishabh Pant Becomes Most Expensive Player in IPL History
Indian left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has made history in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction by becoming the most expensive player ever. The auction for top-performing cricketers took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Lucknow Super Giants secured Pant for a staggering 270 million Indian rupees, equivalent to over 88 crore Pakistani rupees. This bid surpassed the previous highest, which was 260 million Indian rupees paid by Punjab Kings for Shreyas Iyer just minutes earlier.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals had attempted to retain Pant by offering 207.5 million Indian rupees under the Right to Match (RTM) card, but Lucknow’s massive bid forced Delhi Capitals to back out.
Pant, who had been with Delhi Capitals since 2016, now moves to Lucknow Super Giants. He was appointed Delhi Capitals captain in 2021 after Shreyas Iyer was injured and retained as captain for the 2022 season. Pant made a triumphant return to the IPL in 2024, scoring 446 runs for his team after recovering from a serious car accident in December 2022.
In a previous IPL auction, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player when Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for 247.5 million Indian rupees in December 2023. Before Starc, Pat Cummins and Sam Curran also held the title of the most expensive players in IPL history.
Rishabh Pant Thanks Locals Who Saved Him After Car Accident
Rishabh Pant also made headlines for his gesture of gratitude to the locals who helped him after his car accident in December 2022. While traveling from Uttarakhand to Delhi, Pant’s car crashed, leaving him seriously injured. Two locals, Rajat Kumar and Neshu Kumar, rushed to his aid and got him to the hospital in time.
To express his thanks, Pant gifted scooters to Rajat and Neshu. He shared that he would forever remain indebted to them for their quick action, stating, “This favor will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
