Rishabh Pant shattered the record for the most expensive player in IPL history after being acquired by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a whopping Rs 27 crore in the 2025 IPL auction. This came just minutes after Shreyas Iyer set the previous record with a Rs 26.75 crore deal with Punjab Kings.

Pant's acquisition marks the first time he will play for a team other than Delhi Capitals (DC), where he had been a cornerstone since his IPL debut in 2016. The dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman sparked an intense bidding war, with Sunrisers Hyderabad and his former franchise, Delhi Capitals, pushing LSG to make the record-breaking bid.

Remarkable Milestone for Pant

Pant, released by DC after their disappointing sixth-place finish in IPL 2024, entered the auction with a base price of ₹2 crore. His move to LSG eclipses the previous record held by Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹24.75 crore last year.

The 27-year-old’s transfer comes after a remarkable comeback in IPL 2024, where he returned to captain DC following a year-long recovery from a serious car accident in December 2022. Despite the team's struggles, Pant’s aggressive batting style and leadership have made him one of the most sought-after players in the league.

Pant's IPL Journey

Pant’s explosive batting has been pivotal to his success. His standout season came in IPL 2018, where he scored 684 runs at a strike rate of 173.60, including his maiden century. In IPL 2019, he followed up as DC’s second-highest run-scorer with 488 runs at a strike rate of 162.66, helping the team qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

When Shreyas Iyer was injured ahead of IPL 2021, Pant stepped up as DC’s captain, leading them to the top of the points table before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the season. He continued as the team’s skipper after the tournament resumed, solidifying his reputation as a leader.

Retained by DC in 2022 for ₹16 crore per season, Pant has played 111 IPL matches, scoring 3,284 runs at an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93, with one century and 18 fifties. Across all T20 formats, he has accumulated 5,022 runs in 202 matches, averaging 31.78.