The IPL 2025 mega auction, held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, made headlines for its record-breaking bids and strategic team-building. The Lucknow Super Giants stunned everyone by securing Rishabh Pant for an unprecedented ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Punjab Kings showcased their aggressive intent, acquiring Shreyas Iyer for ₹26.75 crore and Arshdeep Singh for ₹18 crore, strengthening their squad with both batting firepower and bowling depth. Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders went all-in for Venkatesh Iyer, shelling out ₹23.75 crore to bring the all-rounder back to their camp. The seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal also fetched ₹18 crore, marking Punjab Kings as the team with three of the top five buys in this auction.

The auction reflected a clear shift in franchise strategies, emphasizing proven match-winners and game-changers. Punjab Kings' bold moves signaled their determination to break their IPL title drought, assembling a star-studded lineup under a hefty price tag. Lucknow's decision to splurge on Rishabh Pant suggested a long-term vision to build their squad around a dynamic leader, while Kolkata's faith in Venkatesh Iyer aimed to rejuvenate their middle order and all-round capabilities. With record sums exchanged and marquee players switching loyalties, the stage is set for IPL 2025 to be one of the most competitive seasons yet.

See Also: Should KL Rahul Have Commanded a Higher Price in the IPL Auction?

Breakdown of all top 5 buys in IPL 2025 mega auction 

The IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah was not just a spectacle of staggering bids but also a testament to the star power and proven credentials of its top players. Rishabh Pant, acquired by Lucknow Super Giants for a record-breaking ₹27 crore, emerged as the headline act. Pant's IPL career stats underline his explosive batting and leadership potential. With 3,284 runs at a strike rate of 148.93, including a blazing 128* as his highest score, he embodies the modern-day T20 prototype: a power-hitting wicketkeeper-batter who can single-handedly change games. With 18 half-centuries, a century, and the added value of 75 catches and 23 stumpings, Pant's role as a captain for LSG is expected to galvanize their campaign.

Shreyas Iyer, bought by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore, brought his reputation as a reliable middle-order batter and a title-winning IPL captain to the table. While his batting is often deemed one-dimensional due to a moderate strike rate of 127.48, his consistent run tally of 3,127 runs across 115 matches, including 21 fifties, makes him a vital anchor in any lineup. Punjab’s aggressive bidding for Iyer reflects their ambition to establish stability and leadership at the top, hoping to leverage his tactical acumen to finally secure an elusive IPL title.

Kolkata Knight Riders made waves by reclaiming Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crore. The flamboyant batting all-rounder has been a revelation in the IPL, amassing 1,326 runs at a brisk strike rate of 137.13. His middle-over exploits, complemented by a century and 11 fifties in just 50 matches, make him a dynamic game-changer. While his bowling hasn't been heavily utilized in the IPL, his potential as a sixth bowler adds a tactical edge. KKR’s faith in Venkatesh signals their intent to fortify their middle order with explosiveness and all-round balance.

Punjab Kings dominate IPL 2025 auction

Punjab Kings continued their aggressive spending spree by snapping up Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal for ₹18 crore each. Arshdeep, known for his versatility as a new-ball and death-overs bowler, brings immense value with 76 wickets at an economy of 9.03 across 65 matches. His ability to deliver under pressure and a best of 5/32 position him as one of the most reliable Indian pacers. Meanwhile, Chahal, with 205 wickets in 160 matches at an average of 22.45 and a strike rate of 17.18, is a proven match-winner. As the second-leading T20I wicket-taker for India, his knack for dismantling batting lineups makes him a prized asset.

With three players among the top five buys, Punjab Kings have showcased their intent to build a squad capable of dominating IPL 2025. Their acquisitions of Iyer, Arshdeep, and Chahal reflect a balanced approach, combining batting depth, wicket-taking prowess, and tactical leadership. Lucknow Super Giants’ record-breaking investment in Pant highlights their focus on a game-changing leader, while KKR’s commitment to Venkatesh Iyer emphasizes their desire for middle-order explosiveness. As these stars gear up for the upcoming season, the stage is set for a thrilling competition where these marquee players are expected to justify their hefty price tags.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to run in the IPL 2025 under a new leadership. After making their IPL debut in the 2022 edition, they reached the Eliminators in the first two editions (2022 and 2023) but finished in seventh place in the 2024 edition, where they had the same points as the fourth-positioned team but ended with very low net run-rate. 

LSG retained five key players by deducting INR 51 crore. While they had to do impactful and calculative bidding in the mega auction, they started that with a purse remaining of INR 69 crore. We will see their auction status below.  

Lucknow Super Giants: Key additions from the mega auction

LSG set up a new record in the IPL auction history when they won Rishabh Pant’s bid for INR 27 crore. Avesh Khan (INR 9.75 crore), Akash Deep (INR 8 crore), and David Miller (INR 7.50 crore) were the other players who earned more than INR 5 crore. They also bought players like Abdul Samad, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Aiden Markram, etc. 

LSG Full Squad

Batters: Ayush Badoni (retained), David Miller (South African), Aiden Markram (South African), Himmat Singh

Wicketkeepers: Nicholas Pooran (retained/Trinidadian), Rishabh Pant, Matthew Breetzke (South African), Aryan Juyal

All-rounders: Mitchell Marsh (Australian), Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Abdul Samad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni

Spinners: Ravi Bishoni (retained), Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Singh

Pacers: Mayank Yadav (retained), Mohsin Khan (retained), Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Shamar Joseph (Guyanese), Prince Yadav, Akash Singh

SEE ALSO: IPL 2025: Ranking all ten teams squads post the 2025 IPL Mega Auction

Brief SWOT analysis

Lucknow Super Giants have strong batting options from overseas and strong bowling options from India. Although the LSG have tried their best to set a well-balanced team for the IPL 2025, there are some challenges for one of the newest IPL teams. 

Although LSG have built up a strong Indian pace-bowling line-up, the experiences are very low. Their biggest challenge will be to handle the tougher situations. Similarly, there aren’t strong Indian batting options, except for Rishabh Pant. It means that LSG are overly dependent on foreigners for the batting. 

LSG Best Possible XI for IPL 2025

Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, David Miller, Ayush Badoni, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) started their IPL journey in the 2022 season and played Eliminators in their first two seasons before finishing in seventh place in the 2024 season.

LSG are looking to a new start with INR 69 crore at the beginning of the IPL 2025 mega auction. In the pre-auction retention, they officially spent 51 crore to retain five players, including three capped and two uncapped players.  

Rishabh Pant smashed the IPL auction record as LSG won the bid for him for INR 27 crore.  David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, and Aiden Markram are the significant overseas buys for LSG in this mega auction. Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, etc. are the other big Indian names in the new LSG squad. 

Pre Auction Retentions

(Capped)

Nicholas Pooran (Trinidadian): INR 21 Crore

Ravi Bishnoi (Indian): INR 11 Crore

Mayank Yadav (Indian): INR 11 Crore

(Uncapped)

Mohsin Khan (Indian): INR 4 Crore

Ayush Badoni (Indian): INR 4 Crore

Right-to-Match (RTM) card availability for the mega auction

1 capped player

Mega Auction Buys

Rishabh Pant (Indian): Base price INR 2 crore – Bid won INR 27 crore

Avesh Khan (Indian): Base price INR 2 crore – Bid won INR 9.75 crore

Akash Deep (Indian): Base price INR 1 crore – Bid won INR 8 crore

David Miller (South Africa): Base price INR 1.5 crore – Bid won INR 7.50 crore

Abdul Samad (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 4.20 crore 

Mitchell Marsh (Australian): Base price INR 2 crore – Bid won INR 3.40 crore

Shahbaz Ahmed (Indian): Base price INR 1 crore – Bid won INR 2.40 crore

Aiden Markram (South African): Base price INR 2 crore – Bid won INR 2 crore

Shamar Joseph (Guyanese): Base price INR 75 lakh – Bid won INR 75 lakh

Manimaran Siddharth (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 75 lakh

Matthew Breetzke (South African): Base price INR 75 lakh – Bid won INR 75 lakh

Arshin Kulkarni (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh

Digvesh Singh (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh

Prince Yadav (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh

Yuvraj Chaudhary (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh

Akash Singh (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh

Rajvardhan Hangargekar (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh

Aryan Juyel (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh

Himmat Singh (Indian): Base price INR 30 lakh – Bid won INR 30 lakh

Full Squad

Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Aryan Juyal, Akash Deep, Himmat Singh, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Matthew Breetzke.

Best Playing XI

Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, David Miller, Ayush Badoni, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan

Indian cricketer KL Rahul finally opened up about his non-retention for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) before the IPL 2025 mega auction. 

In the IPL 2022 mega auction, LSG bought KL Rahul. He was the captain of the team in their first three seasons. Rahul is the only LSG batter to score 1000 runs for the team. The right-handed batter scored 1410 runs in 38 games for the team with an average of 41.47 and a strike rate of 130.67, including two centuries and 10 half-centuries. 

Last season, LSG finished in the seventh position, while they reached the playoffs and played Eliminators in their first two seasons.  

Although Rahul’s exit from the LSG team was highly expected, the decision is still hardly understandable.  

SEE ALSO: Rohit Sharma to miss first Test against Australia in Perth

I wanted to explore my options: KL Rahul

Talking about Rahul’s exit from LSG, the former IPL skipper clarified that he wanted a fresh start and to explore other strong and suitable options in the game. 

Rahul told Star Sports, "I wanted to start fresh, I wanted to explore my options, and I wanted to go and play where I could find some freedom. Team atmosphere would be lighter; sometimes you just need to move away and find something good for yourself, and I have been out of the T20 team for a while." 

My aim is obviously to get back into the T20 team: KL Rahul

Rahul last represented the Indian T20I side in November 2022, during the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 against England. He openly admitted that he wanted to return to the T20I side. 

Rahul added, "I know where I stand as a player, and I know what I need to do to get back. I look forward to this IPL season to give me that platform to go back and enjoy my cricket. My aim is obviously to get back into the T20 team."

KL Rahul won the Orange Cap in the IPL 2021 when he was serving for Punjab Kings. While he was the second-most run-scorer in the IPL 2022, he was in seventh place in the IPL 2024 (Rahul missed almost half of the IPL 2023 due to injury). 

Since IPL 2017, Rahul is the leading run-scorer in IPL. It shows his consistent performances and strong dependable ability with the bat. Without any doubt, he will create an auction war between teams in the upcoming mega auction.

As all 10 franchises gear up to lock horns in the upcoming mega auction in Riyadh later this month, most of their quest will be centered around looking for a new captain. The Indian wicketkeepers featuring the likes of Rishab Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer will also be in contention in this year’s mega auction race. 

As many as four IPL franchises have released their respective captains ahead of the grand Riyadh auction. Faf has been released by RCB, KL Rahul released by LSG, Pant released by DC, and Iyer released by the defending champions KKR to name a few. With sweeping changes expected across the horizon, we highlight some common problems the franchises are expected to encounter in this forthcoming auction. 

Common headaches for all franchises ahead of the IPL auction

As we have now learnt, teams have expressed their desire to let go of their captains. The exit of the past skippers will undoubtedly leave a power vacuum. KKR, RCB, LSG, and DC will be without their former captains who performed remarkably well for them over the years. The gap can also result in decreased performance and impact on the field as well as off-the-field relationships between the players and the coaching staff. In other words, with new talent onboard, success may not always be guaranteed as the players and the management need to starch from scratch while forging new relations. 

Besides, the departure of other veteran players like Pant or Iyer can leave the team vulnerable on the biggest of stages. Iyer, who was the winning captain of KRR last year comes with a lot of experience and the franchise could have certainly benefitted from him once again in the next season. However, the arrival of a fresh captain can potentially change the dynamics and the composure of the KKR team for the worse. 

While some teams are on the lookout for fresh talent to lead their side, others are also gearing up to find match-winners in the form of wicket-keepers such as Rishab Pant and KL Rahul.  The franchises will have a lot of tough decisions to make as we fast approach the mega auction so don't be surprised if they make any move out of the ordinary.  

Just like Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) also made their IPL debut in the 2022 edition. LSG have announced the retained players for the IPL 2025. 

Although they haven’t played any final yet, LSG still have impressed in their early IPL journey. In their first two IPL seasons, LSG reached the Eliminators. Last season, LSG finished in the seventh position with the same points as the fourth place but a lesser net run rate. 

KL Rahul has been leading the team since their IPL debut. In his absence, Krunal Pandya and Nicholas Pooran have led the team. 

Lucknow Super Giants’ player retention

Lucknow Super Giants retained five players, including three capped and two uncapped players, for INR 51 crore. At the IPL 2025 mega auction, LSG can spend the remaining INR 69 crore. 

(Capped)

Nicholas Pooran (Trinidadian): INR 21 Crore

Ravi Bishnoi (Indian): INR 11 Crore

Mayank Yadav (Indian): INR 11 Crore

(Uncapped)

Mohsin Khan (Indian): INR 4 Crore

Ayush Badoni (Indian): INR 4 Crore

Right-to-Match (RTM) card availability for the mega auction

1 capped player

West Indies cricketer Nicholas Pooran has reportedly signed a new contract for the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Recently, the 29-year-old Caribbean cricketer Nicholas Pooran was in Kolkata to meet with the RPSG officials. While Cricbuzz confirmed this report, the cricket news website also claimed that the Caribbean cricketer could be the first official sign for the IPL 2025. 

The retention deadline is October 31. On that day, we can learn the retained players of each IPL team before the mega auction. 

LSG are unlikely to retain KL Rahul

The LSG team management is unlikely to retain the captain KL Rahul, who is the only batter to record 1000+ runs for the team. LSG played the Eliminators in their first two IPL seasons but finished in the seventh position in the IPL 2024. 

Although the LSG owner has claimed that Rahul is a family member, the unhappiness with the captain was publicly seen in the last season.

Nicholas Pooran's performances

Pooran is the fourth-most run-scorer for LSG, as he has scored 857 runs in 29 games with an average of 42.85 and a strike rate of 175.97. The left-handed Caribbean batter has hit five half-centuries. In the last IPL season, Pooran scored 499 runs with an average of 62.37 and a strike rate of 178.21, including three half-centuries. 

As Pooran is going to be the first sign for the LSG, his retention value can be INR 18 crore. However, the franchise can deal with him for lesser or higher salaries. 

An LSG official said, according to Cricbuzz, "Pooran is committed to LSG, possesses a winning mindset, thinks deep and above all he is adaptable to the batting order and any match situation.”

If LSG don’t retain KL Rahul, Pooran can be their next captain for the IPL 2025. 

According to the Cricbuzz report, capped players Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav and the uncapped players Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan can be the other retained names for the LSG. 

Former India batter and current National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is likely to join Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as the new head coach ahead of IPL 2025. According to a report by Times Of India (TOI), Laxman is expected to step down from his NCA role once his contract expires in September this year.

Transition from NCA to IPL

VVS Laxman, who was one of the top candidates to succeed Rahul Dravid as the head coach of Team India, expressed his reluctance to be constantly on the road with the team. Appointed as the NCA Head Coach in November 2021, Laxman had to relocate from Hyderabad to Bengaluru for the role. However, with his contract nearing its end and his unwillingness to continue, Lucknow Super Giants have shown interest in bringing him on board as part of their coaching staff for the 2025 IPL season.

Future prospects and team changes

Despite Lucknow Super Giants’ failure to qualify for the playoffs, with a seventh-place finish in the league stage, Justin Langer is expected to continue as the head coach. Additionally, there are reports suggesting that skipper KL Rahul might leave LSG and return to Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he made his IPL debut in 2013.

See Also: Ajit Agarkar influences Hardik Pandya’s shocking exit as T20 captain? Report – Cricket Winner

As for the NCA, former India batting coach Vikram Rathour is likely to succeed Laxman. Rathour, who has a long association with the BCCI, served as a national selector and later as the Indian team’s batting coach from 2019 to June 2024. Meanwhile, Laxman, having shifted back to Hyderabad, has reportedly been approached by multiple IPL franchises for coaching roles. Despite being the BCCI’s first preference to replace Dravid, Laxman declined the offer due to his reluctance to travel extensively with the team.

Delhi Capitals registered a convincing win by 19 runs over Lucknow Super Giants at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi in the 64th match of the ongoing IPL 2024. Abishek Porel and Tristan Stubbs smashed quick knocks and Ishant Sharma claimed three wickets and helped the team win.

DC players did well with the bat

Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and opted to bowl first. Batting first, DC lost their in-form opener Jake Fraser-McGurk for a duck. However, Abishek Porel and Shai Hope maintained their good form and added 92 runs within 8.3 overs. Porel scored 58 off 33 with 5 fours and 4 sixes whereas Hope smashed 38 off 27 with 3 fours and two sixes as well.

However, after their dismissals, middle-order batters Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs stepped up. While Pant scored a quickfire 33 off 23 with 5 fours, Tristan Stubbs’ unbeaten fifty and Axar Patel’s quick 14 helped them to post 208 runs in their allotted 20 overs with the loss of 4 wickets.

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

Nicholas Pooran scored a quick fifty

While chasing, Lucknow Super Giants had a poor start as their opener KL Rahul got out for a mere 5. Soon, they lost their upper order within the powerplay and that didn’t help them to get back in the game again. However, Nicholas Pooran tried to steady the ship with the middle-order batters. But neither Ayush Badoni nor Krunal Pandya could support him. Pooran scored 61 off 27 with 6 fours and 4 sixes.

However, Arshad Khan played a quickfire knock of 58* off 33 with the help of 3 fours and 5 sixes. But his quickfire knock couldn’t help his side as they lost by 19 runs as well.

After the match, KL Rahul said: “I feel the wicket remained the same throughout the 40 overs. When we got JFM out in the first over we should have capitalized, but they – Hope and Porel – showed a lot of intent. We did well at the back end and 200 was a par total, we should have chased it down. This has been a problem right through the season – we keep losing a lot of wickets in the powerplay, we never get a solid start to get the likes of Stoinis and Pooran in, that is the big reason why we are in this position.”