IPL 2025 mega auction: Once most expensive player of the glitzy league, Sam Curran took a massive pay cut in the IPL 2025 mega auction to re-united with his former team Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Sam Curran's stocks crashe, takes 87% pay cut in IPL 2025 mega auction
Curran's price didn't budge much from his base price of Rs 2 crore as CSK ended up acquiring former Punjab Kings' captain for a moderate Rs 2.4 crore in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Monday, November 25. Sam Curran, who previously played for Punjab Kings from 2019 to 2024, was not retained by the franchise. Punjab Kings opted not to exercise their Right To Match (RTM) card, making Curran available for other teams to bid on. Curran's price tag turned heads because he is the same player who headlined IPL 2023 by becoming the most expensive player in IPL history by hitting a jackpot deal of Rs 18.5 crore.
However, Rishabh Pant shattered all the previous records and became the most expensive player in the history of IPL after grabbing a humongous deal of Rs 18.50 crore from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the ongoing auction. Pant apparently surpassed Shreyas Iyer, who first grabbed the tag of most expensive IPL player after Punjab Kings (PBKS) bought for Rs 26.75 crore. However, Pant trumped him with a whopping deal from LSG.
Notably, Curran began his IPL journey with Kings XI Punjab in 2019, where he was bought for Rs 7.2 crore. He made an immediate impact, showcasing his exceptional talent. One of his most memorable moments was a sensational hat-trick against Delhi Capitals, making him one of the youngest players to achieve this feat in the IPL.
R Ashwin also re-unites with CSK
CSK made strategic moves at the 2025 IPL mega auction, focusing on both experienced players and promising young talent. The Chennai-based franchise brought back hometown hero Ravichandran Ashwin for a massive amount, just shy of Rs 10 crore. They also retained the Kiwi duo of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, investing Rs 6.25 crore and Rs 4 crore, respectively. Moreover, CSK added Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad to their squad for Rs 10 crore.
CSK further strengthened their squad by acquiring Indian seamer Khaleel Ahmed and batter Rahul Tripathi. They also welcomed back Vijay Shankar, investing Rs 1.2 crore in his services.
CSK IPL 2025 Squad so far:
Ruturaj Gaikwad (18 crore), Matheesha Pathirana (13 crore), Shivam Dube (12 crore) Ravindra Jadeja 18 (crore) MS Dhoni 4 (crore), Devon Conway (Rs. 6.25 crore), Rahul Tripathi (Rs. 3.40 crore), Rachin Ravindra (Rs. 4 crore), R. Ashwin (Rs. 9.75 crore), Khaleel Ahmed (Rs. 4.80 crore), Noor Ahmad (Rs. 10 crore), Vijay Shankar (Rs. 1.20 crore), Sam Curran (Rs. 2.40 crore).
