Rishabh Pant is the most expensive player in IPL history.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction saw some record-breaking buys. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Venkatesh Iyer earned contracts of over INR 20 crore each, while 17 more players got more than INR 10 crore each. Pant emerged as the most expensive player (INR 26 crore) in IPL history. Next up was Shreyas, who was roped in for a jaw-dropping INR 26.75 crore by Punjab Kings (PBKS) a few minutes before Pant’s auction. We look into what can happen in the IPL 2026 auction, which is only a few months away.
While many cricketers justified their price tag with a stunning season, quite a few had an underwhelming season. There are some who might seek more opportunities and better role clarity in another franchise.
Here are the four high-priced players who could find a new home after the IPL 2026 auction.
AUSA-W
–
INDA-W
–
ROR
191/6
TBW
140/10
Royals of Rayalaseema beat Tungabhadra Warriors by 51 runs
VSS
204/7
BVB
–
SIN-W
–
CAM-W
–
SIN-W
–
CAM-W
–
SKA
–
ABF
–
RJM
108/7
SOS
59/10
Rijeka Markhors beat Sir Oliver Split by 49 runs
ZGA
130/2
RJM
130/6
Rijeka Markhors tied with Zagreb Assassins (Zagreb Assassins wins the Golden Ball)
SOS
86/1
ZGA
83/10
Sir Oliver Split won by 9 wickets
ZGW
73/8
SOS
74/2
Sir Oliver Split beat Zagreb Warriors by 8 wickets
ZGA
59/3
RJM
144/6
SOS
–
ZGW
–
ZAS
–
ZGA
–
SOS
–
RJM
–
ZGA
–
ZAS
–
ZGA
–
SOS
–
DURH
387/4
MID
195/3
BB
283/9
KENT
178/7
LEI
333/8
NOT
128/6
WOR
196/5
HAM
194/9
Worcestershire beat Hampshire by 5 wickets
SURR
21/1
GLAM
308/7
YOR
–
SOM
–
BCC
–
GUG
–
MATCH ABANDONED
LLG
63/0
MUR
287/10
NK
281/7
NWW
278/5
Northern Knights (Ireland) beat North West Warriors by 3 wickets
JJ
–
SBSCC
–
NCMI
–
BCC
–
CEC-A
–
KGC
–
KRMPS
–
BCC
–
BNB
225/6
HBT
228/8
Hubli Tigers beat Bengaluru Blasters by 2 wickets
MGD
179/8
SML
9/1
MYW
–
MGD
–
GBM
–
BNB
–
SLBL
178/6
SLGY
179/4
SLC Greys beat SLC Blues by 6 wickets
SLGR
–
SLGY
–
SOB
139/5
NOS
131/7
WEF
–
MAO
–
LOS
–
TRR
–
SBW-W
103/2
NOS-W
102/10
Southern Brave Women beat Northern Superchargers Women by 8 wickets
WFW-W
73/9
MOW-W
44/2
LSW-W
–
TRW-W
–
PS
–
BANA
–
After a successful IPL 2024 season, Venkatesh Iyer was acquired for INR 23.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the mega auction. But the southpaw failed to live up to the expectations. He managed only 143 runs in 11 matches, averaging a poor 20.29 and a modest strike rate of 139.22. Due to a series of poor performances, he was also dropped from the playing XI.
However, it wasn’t completely his fault. With skipper Ajinkya Rahane coming into the mix, he was demoted in the batting lineup. Venkatesh, who is primarily a top-order batter, batted in the middle order, mostly at No.5. In IPL 2024, under Shreyas’ leadership, Venkatesh batted at one or two down. Additionally, the right-arm pacer didn’t get a single over to bowl. As a result, the 30-year-old might potentially opt for a change, seeking more opportunities and a better role.
Yuzvendra Chahal had been a standout performer for his previous two franchises – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). He is the leading wicket-taker for RCB and has the second-most wickets for RR in IPL history. Punjab Kings (PBKS) went all in to acquire Chahal’s services, who is also the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, spending a whopping INR 18 crore.
But Chahal couldn’t have had a similar impact in the IPL 2025 season apart from a couple of matches. The leg-spinner took 16 wickets in 14 matches at an expensive economy of 9.55. He took two four-wicket hauls, including a hat-trick. He also missed out on a few games at the business end due to a wrist injury. His slowness in the field might also play a huge factor in his retention case. Hence, PBKS might look to carry a heavy purse to fine-tune their squad by releasing Chahal ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 mini auction.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have reinvented T20 batting, showcasing a destructive and ultra-aggressive approach. They tried to strengthen it further in the IPL 2025 mega auction, with the inclusion of Ishan Kishan. The southpaw scored a statement hundred on his SRH debut. But the 27-year-old failed to continue the momentum. Till the time he found his mojo, SRH were already out of contention. Kishan scored 354 runs in 13 innings. He was averaging 35.4 and striking at an impressive 152.58. But the more glaring concern was that, apart from his 106 and 94-run knocks, Kishan managed only 154 runs in 11 innings. Additionally, the 27-year-old was playing out of position, at No.3.
On the other hand, SRH had their real issues in the batting depth. They struggled to find a batter better suited at number seven, having tried nearly five players throughout the season. The franchise might rethink and could part ways with Kishan to free up some money.
Kagiso Rabada was one of the six players of the marquee set in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Gujarat Titans, who had an underwhelming IPL 2024, roped in the South African pacer to bolster their bowling attack. GT acquired his services for a hefty price of INR 10.75 crore. But the pacer missed out on 11 matches after he had to return home to serve a provisional suspension from Cricket South Africa for allegedly testing positive for recreational drug use.
In his four outings, Rabada put out a disappointing show, managing two wickets in four matches, averaging 81 and an economy rate of 11.57. Thus, his underwhelming performance might lead the Gujarat Titans to rethink Rabada’s case ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
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