The IPL 2025 mega auction turned out to be a record-breaking affair. Rishabh Pant became the most expensive signing in IPL auction history as Lucknow Super Giants shelled a whopping Rs 27 crore to secure
his signature. Punjab Kings also broke the bank to land Shreyas Iyer, who commanded a cool Rs 26.75 crore. Not far behind were the then defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, as they too joined the spending spree by splashing Rs 23.75 crore for Venkatesh Iyer.
While Shreyas justified the price tag by scoring over 600 runs and captaining PBKS to a runners-up finish, Pant and LSG struggled as the franchise finished 7th. However, Pant signed off in style with a century.
Venkatesh, though, had a season to forget. He mustered 142 runs from 7 innings and didn’t bowl a single delivery as KKR finished below LSG in the points table. KKR were criticised for pinning their hopes on the all-rounder and, as widely predicted, he was released by the three-time champions ahead of the mini-auction.
Now, KKR enter the auction with a purse of Rs 64.3 crore – the highest among the 10 teams. With a bunch of highly-rated T20 stars entering the auction, KKR have the financial muscle to sign any player they wish to from the pool.
The franchise has already started making significant changes to their setup with Abhishek Nayar taking charge as their new head coach. Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim, though, reckons that the franchise may end up buying back Venkatesh for a lower price.
“There is a strong possibility that KKR may buy him back. He was released at INR 23 crores, which freed up a huge amount in their purse, and chances are high that he may not go for that much money now in the mini-auction,” Karim said on JioHotstar.
“This is a trademark Abhishek Nayar move because he always wants to start fresh. He only keeps players he feels are part of a winning combination and will be regular in the playing eleven. The rest, he buys back in the auction. I think he will build his team that way. I’ve always seen Abhishek Nayar work like this. So I feel the KKR management believes that maybe Venkatesh Iyer has exhausted his utility, similar to how they valued Andre Russell for years,” he added.
