Shreyas Iyer, a batsman for the Indian cricket team, became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. The IPL 2024 captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Shreyas, was acquired by Punjab Kings for an incredible Rs 26.75 crore. After a fierce bidding battle between the Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings for the star batter, Punjab ultimately prevailed. Mitchell Starc, an Australian fast bowler who joined KKR for Rs 24.75 crore, was once the largest auction purchase.
At the IPL 2024 Auction held at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah on Sunday, Punjab Kings used their Right to Match (RTM) card to purchase India pacer Arshdeep Singh for Rs 18 crore.
Arshdeep was the first player selected at auction from the initial group of high-profile athletes, with a base price of Rs 2 crore. The Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad were the next teams to raise their paddles, after the Chennai Super Kings. Prior to Punjab using their RTM card for their player, Sunrisers Hyderabad secured the final price of Rs 15.75 crore for Arshdeep. Punjab decided to pay Rs 18 cr more to hire the pacer after SRH increased the price.
After IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal’s opening remarks, the two-day bidding process got underway. Punjab Kings, who only kept two players—Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh—before the auction, have the largest purse of Rs 110.5 crore for the two-day gala event.
The Gujarat Titans acquired Kagiso Rabada, the next player on the list, for Rs 10.75 crore. After keeping Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and Rashid Khan, GT went to the auction with a purse of Rs 69 crore.
