On Sunday, November 24, during the big auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Rishabh Pant was signed by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for an incredible INR 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history.
When the Delhi Capitals put their former captain up for sale this month, it was a shocking revelation. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru both showed interest in signing the flashy batsman-wicketkeeper, but the Super Giants persisted. The Delhi Capitals made the decision to spend INR 20 crore on one of their Right To Match (RTM) cards. However, the Capitals chose not to make that offer to the 27-year-old after the Super Giants made a last bid of INR 27 crore.
Pant will make a little more than the INR 27 crore, though. The IPL Governing Council’s new rule, which requires players to receive match fees, is to blame for this. Prior to the auction, it was declared that each IPL 2025 match would earn a player INR 7.50 lakh. Consequently, a player will receive 1.05 crore in addition to his current wage if he participates in all 14 of the tournament’s round-robin matches. Pant, who is anticipated to be named the next LSG captain, will therefore receive INR 28.05 crore this season if he participates in all 14 of the IPL 2025 round-robin matches.
Why does Rishabh Pant care about the IPL 2025?
During the 2024 Indian Premier League, Pant made a comeback to competitive cricket and had an incredible season as a batsman for the Capitals. At a strike rate of 155.40 and an average of 40.55, he amassed 446 runs. After that, the Delhi player was selected for India’s 2024 T20 World Cup team and participated in every match. But aside from the first few games, he was unable to leave an impression.
Sanju Samson, the captain of the Rajasthan Royals and a fellow wicketkeeper-batter, has performed admirably at the top of the order for the Men in Blue in previous Twenty20 Internationals. In his last five T20I games, he has scored three hundreds. Pant will strive to establish himself as a member of India’s T20 team and have a strong season with his new team.