IPL mega auction: Franchises spend nearly ₹468 crore on the first day
The auction will resume on Monday at 4 PM Bangladesh time, with the remaining 490 players from the final list of 574 up for bidding on the second day.
The opening day of the two-day IPL mega auction for the upcoming season concluded with significant activity.
Out of the 84 players listed, 72 were picked by franchises, while 12 players remained unsold.
Among the contracted players, 24 were international cricketers.
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Notable stars such as David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, however, went unsold.
The auction will resume on Monday at 4 PM Bangladesh time, with the remaining 490 players from the final list of 574 up for bidding on the second day. This pool includes 12 Bangladeshi cricketers. By the end of the auction, a maximum of 204 players will secure contracts with the franchises.
Franchise spending on day one
The ten IPL franchises spent a combined total of ₹467.95 crore to acquire 72 players on the first day. The Right to Match (RTM) card was utilised four times during the proceedings.
The costliest players
Shreyas Iyer became the most expensive player in IPL history when Punjab Kings secured his services for ₹26.75 crore. However, this record was shattered within 20 minutes, as Lucknow Super Giants signed Rishabh Pant for ₹27 crore, setting a new benchmark. Venkatesh Iyer was also hotly contested, ultimately returning to Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹23.75 crore.
Punjab Kings retained Arshdeep Singh for ₹18 crore and also signed Yuzvendra Chahal for the same amount. Meanwhile, English cricketer Jos Buttler was picked up by Gujarat Titans for ₹15.75 crore. In a dramatic late entry, Jofra Archer rejoined Rajasthan Royals, who paid ₹12.50 crore for him.
Players purchased by each franchise on day one
- Punjab Kings: 10 players
- Delhi Capitals: 9 players
- Gujarat Titans: 9 players
- Sunrisers Hyderabad: 8 players
- Chennai Super Kings: 7 players
- Kolkata Knight Riders: 7 players
- Lucknow Super Giants: 7 players
- Royal Challengers Bangalore: 6 players
- Rajasthan Royals: 5 players
- Mumbai Indians: 4 players
Top 10 most expensive players on day one
- Rishabh Pant - ₹27 crore, Lucknow Super Giants
- Shreyas Iyer - ₹26.75 crore, Punjab Kings
- Venkatesh Iyer - ₹23.75 crore, Kolkata Knight Riders
- Arshdeep Singh - ₹18 crore, Punjab Kings
- Yuzvendra Chahal - ₹18 crore, Punjab Kings
- Jos Buttler - ₹15.75 crore, Gujarat Titans
- KL Rahul - ₹14 crore, Delhi Capitals
- Trent Boult - ₹12.50 crore, Mumbai Indians
- Jofra Archer - ₹12.50 crore, Rajasthan Royals
- Josh Hazlewood - ₹12.50 crore, Royal Challengers Bangalore
