According to former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina, Pant could smash the Rs 25 crore barrier and become the most expensive player in history of the league. The current record stands with Mitchell Starc at Rs 24.50 crore when Kolkaka Knight Riders bought him during the last year’s auction.
What will work in Pant’s favour to get the most lucrative deal in the history of the IPL is the fact that he is a wicketkeeper batsman who has the ability to lead. There are a number of teams who are vying to fill their wicketkeeper slots and at the same time looking for a leader.
IPL mega auction 2025: Which teams have the biggest purse?
One of the first teams that is sure to break bank to get Pant in their fold is Punjab Kings and there are two reasons for this. Firstly at Rs 110.50 crore, the Kings have the biggest purse size. Even if they spend close to Rs 25 crore to Rs 26 crore, they will have Rs 85 crore left in their pockets to buy another 22 players. But the team need not necessarily have 25 players at the end of the auction. Punjab has the knack of spending big.
At the 2023 IPL auction the team bid Rs 18.50 crore to sign England all-rounder Sam Curran. It also worth noting that Ricky Poniting is the new head coach of the team. Ponting worked closely with Pant at Delhi Capitals and he will be willing to re-establish that working relationship this time at Punjab Kings.
The team with the second-highest purse size is Royal Challengers Bengaluru. RCB have Rs 83 crore left in their bank and interestingly enough wicketkeeper is one of the key slots for them to fill in this auction. An aging Dinesh Karthik fulfilled the wicketkeeping duties for the team for the past couple of seasons. With Karthik now retired and an integral part of the support staff, RCB will need a youngster who can be the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper.
There are reports that Virat Kohli might lead RCB this season. And even if RCB use their RTM card to get Faf du Plessis back, we have to remember that Kohli and du Plessis are on the wrong side of the 30s. So the team will be preparing for future and looking for the next captain.
Also read: Ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction, BCCI announces schedule for next three seasons
Two other teams with whom Rishabh Pant is being heavily linked are Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings. LSG released team’s wicketkeeping batter and captain KL Rahul. Although the team has one RTM card available to get back a capped player, but the things that have been said leading upto Rahul’s release, there is no way Rahul is heading back there. However, Lucknow might have to pull their hands back as their purse size is Rs 69 crore and they have fill 20 slots including 7 overseas players.
CSK could also be Pant’s next destination. An aging MS Dhoni will still keep wickets next season, but Dhoni cannot continue forever. CSK will need fresh legs behind the stumps. For the longest time CSK has banked on the popularity of Dhoni. Despite his strong allegiance to CSK, for the longest time Dhoni has found admirers, and that too in large numbers, on away grounds too. Pant is a player built in similar mould. He has huge number of fans across the length and the breath of the country. Pant took over the mantle from Dhoni in the Indian jersey and he could very well do the same at CSK too.
The stars are aligning for Pant’s date with destiny!
