Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder for India, believes that wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is likely to break the record set by Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc for being the most expensive player in IPL history. Starc fetched an impressive INR 24.75 Crore during the IPL 2024 mini-auction after being acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Starc’s price surpassed that of his fellow Australian Pat Cummins, who was sold to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20.50 Crore in the same auction. However, Pathan thinks that Pant’s value could soar even higher in the next auction due to strong demand for his skills.
Pathan expressed his thoughts on social media, stating, “Mitchell Starc’s auction record is in danger. @RishabhPant17 is ready to break it!”
Rishabh Pant has been released by the Delhi Capitals, sparking interest in his potential selling price during the upcoming auction. Earlier, he hinted at his expectations on social media.
### Star Players Set for IPL 2025 Auction
Pant, who made his IPL debut back in 2016 with Delhi, has been with the franchise for eight seasons. Notably, he was named the Emerging Player of the Year in 2018, where he scored 684 runs in 14 matches, boasting an impressive average of 52.61 and a strike rate of 173.60, including a century and five fifties. To date, Pant has accumulated 3,284 runs in his IPL career with an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93, featuring one century and 18 fifties.
As the IPL auction approaches, 574 players have been shortlisted, with 208 coming from overseas. Alongside Pant, other big names like Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, and Glenn Maxwell are all set to be part of the bidding process.
The upcoming mega auction will fill a total of 204 positions across ten franchises, including 70 slots for overseas players. Notably, 81 players have set their base price at INR 2 Crore for the event scheduled to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
