Records fall as top ranking performers dominate opening day of IPL auction
Record bids came for India duo Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer on an action packed opening day of the auction as highly-ranked players from around the world also attracted attention
A host of the top performers on the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings have been rewarded with big pay days on the opening day of the Indian Premier League auction on Sunday.
With the No.1 ranked T20I batter Travis Head retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for 2025, it was No.2 ranked batter Phil Salt that drew a bit of 11.50 crore (1.362m USD) from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as the hard-hitting England opener found a new home in the IPL next year.
England teammate and No.7 ranked T20I batter Jos Buttler will join Salt in the IPL next year after attracting a bid of 15.75 crore (1.866m USD) from Gujarat Titans, while Afghanistan dasher and No.10 ranked batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz will play at Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025 after being sold for 2 crore (237,000 USD).
India duo Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer broke all sorts of records, with Iyer sold for 26.75 crores (3.17m USD) to Punjab Kings only to be trumped by the Lucknow Super Giants who paid 27 crores (3.199m USD) for Pant to make the wicket-keeper-batter the highest purchased player in the history of the IPL auction.
WATCH: Pant wins it for India at T20 World Cup 2024
Rishabh Pant reverse whacks that over the wicketkeeper for six!
International spinners dominated the auction from a rankings perspective on the opening day, with No.2 ranked Sri Lankan superstar leggie Wanindu Hasranga sold to Rajasthan Royals for 5.25 crore (622,000 USD) and Australian No.3 ranked bowler Adam Zampa taken by Sunrisers Hyderabad for 2.40 crore (284,300 USD).
India pacer Arshdeep Singh - who was the joint leading wicket-taker at this year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup and is the No.9 ranked bowler in the world - was a big winner at the auction as he landed at Punjab Kings courtesy of an 18 crore (2.133m USD) bid.
Of the top 10 ranked all-rounders in T20I, England's No.3 ranked star Liam Livingstone was sold to RCB for 8.75 crore (1.04m USD), Australia's No.4 ranked Marcus Stoinis ended up at Punjab Kings for 11 crore (1.3m USD) and No.9 ranked Aiden Markram will play at Lucknow Super Giants are attracting a 2 crore (237,000 USD) price tag.
Men's T20I All-Rounder Rankings
India trio Yuzvendra Chahal (18 crore/2.13m USD to Punjab Kings), Mohammed Siraj (12.25 crore/1.45m USD to Gujarat Titans) and Mohammed Shami (10 crore/1.185m USD to Sunrisers Hyderabad) were among the other big names to be sold on the opening night of the IPL auction alongside international stars David Miller (7.5 crore/889,000 USD to Lucknow Super Giants), Mitchell Starc (11.75 /1.39m USD) crore to Delhi Capitals) and Kagiso Rabada (10.75/1.27m crore to Gujarat Titans).
There were a couple of surprises though, with veterans David Warner and Jonny Bairstow remaining unsold with the pair still a chance of being snapped up on the second day of the auction.