Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) newly-appointed captain Rishabh Pant talked about the intense bidding war at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. LSG ended up buying Rishabh Pant for a record-breaking Rs. 27 crore. With this Pant became the most expensive player in the history of IPL, edging out Punjab Kings' (PBKS) signing of Shreyas Iyer for Rs. 26.75 crore. Pant's departure from Delhi Capitals (DC) prior to the 2025 season had left everyone surprised.
Prior to the auction, Pant was widely anticipated to be the highest-paid player. Punjab Kings (PBKS), with a substantial budget of Rs. 112 crore, were considered the frontrunners to acquire him. Royal Challengers Bengaluru followed closely with a purse of Rs. 26.75 crore.
Moreover, the presence of Ricky Ponting at Punjab Kings fueled speculation about Pant joining the franchise. Ponting, who had coached Pant at Delhi Capitals for seven years, was believed to have a strong influence on the young cricketer.
Rishabh Pant admitted that he was apprehensive about joining the Punjab Kings during the 2025 IPL Auction. He acknowledged that their substantial purse made it difficult to predict his destination. Pant expressed relief that Punjab Kings acquired Shreyas Iyer, opening the door for him to join the Lucknow Super Giants.
"Mereko andar se ek hi tension tha, Punjab. (From inside, I had only one tension, that was Punjab). Their budget was so high that if you wanted, you could not do anything. They had 112 crore, the second highest was Rs. 82 crore. When Shreyas joined Punjab, I was relieved that I can join LSG now." Pant told Star Sports.
Pant spent his entire career with the Delhi Capitals prior to joining LSG. The Delhi-based franchise acquired him for Rs. 1.9 crore in the 2016 auction, while he was representing India at the 2016 U-19 World Cup under the leadership of Ishan Kishan. Lucknow Super Giants will be only the second franchise in Rishabh Pant's IPL career.
Delhi Capitals retained Pant ahead of both the 2018 and 2022 mega auctions, paying Rs. 8 crore and Rs. 16 crore respectively. He assumed the captaincy of the franchise in 2021, succeeding Shreyas Iyer. The Punjab Kings have never won the IPL title and have only reached the playoffs twice in their history. Their last playoff appearance was in 2014. Pant will be eager to lead LSG to their maiden IPL title. He has yet to experience the glory of an IPL championship, neither as a player nor as a captain.