New Delhi: Former India pacer Irfan Pathan has backed Rishabh Pant to become the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction. Pathan took to X to state that Australian pacer Mitchell Starc’s record might be in danger as he believes Pant can become the most expensive pick of all time in an IPL auction.
Starc claimed the record for becoming the most expensive player in IPL history when the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) shelled out a whopping Rs 24.75 crore for the Australian pacer at the IPL 2024 mini auction last year. Starc beat his compatriot Pat Cummins, who was bought for Rs 20.50 crore by his current franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the same auction.
However, Pathan believes Starc’s record might not stay at the end of the IPL 2025 mega auction which is scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 24 and 25. Pathan took to X to name Pant as his pick for the most expensive player at the upcoming auction and backed the Team India star to surpass Starc’s price of Rs 24.75 crore from the last auction.
“Mitchell Starc’s auction record is in danger. @RishabhPant17 is ready to break it,” Pathan wrote in a tweet.
Mitchell Starc’s auction record is in danger. @RishabhPant17 is ready to break it!
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 18, 2024
Pant was released by the Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction despite being the captain and one of the top Indian players in their ranks. Pant, who joined DC in 2016, led the franchise for three seasons from 2021 to 2024. He has played 111 matches in his IPL career so far and has 3284 runs to his name at a strike rate of 148.93, including 18 fifties and a solitary century.
Pant was reportedly released by Delhi Capitals after having differences with the team management regarding captaincy. While DC wanted to retain Pant they were not keen on continuing with him as captain which saw the wicket-keeper batter enter the IPL 2025 mega auction. A number of teams are expected to launch a bidding war for the India star at the mega auction.
Rishabh Pant to face intense competition for most expensive bid
While Pant remains a strong contender to emerge as the most expensive pick at the IPL 2025 mega auction, he is likely to face strong competition from the likes of Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Sam Curran, Jos Buttler and Starc among others. The swashbuckling left-hander will be on the radar of several franchises, who will be looking for a captaincy candidate in the mega auction.
Former India pacer Irfan Pathan named a Team India star who he feels can break Mitchell Starc’s record to become the most expensive player in IPL history in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
