Former India batter Robin Uthappa has claimed that bids for wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will fetch a salary of between Rs 25-28 crore in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction. Pant is among India’s premier players plan participating in the auction, which will be held on November 24-25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after not being selected by Delhi Capitals. With him in the auction, teams like Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are expected to bid heavily for him.

“I think Rishabh Pant will cost around Rs 25-28 crores. He will definitely get a lot of money and become the highest paid player in this auction. It would be interesting to see Pant being offered at such rates as I think Punjab Kings could aim to get him, just like RCB, for the leadership role and wicketkeeper-batsman,” Uthappa said on JioCinema.

Similar sentiments were echoed by former Indian opener Aakash Chopra. “I think Rishabh Pant is going to become the most expensive player in the history of IPL. If there is a good equation between Pant and Punjab Kings, then they will go all out for him, otherwise RCB will become a very likely place for Rishabh. But I think other teams will also bid for Pant. Indian players will also be the main property in this mega auction.

Uthappa also believes that DC will go all out to buy back Shreyas Iyer, who was a part of the franchise from 2015 to 2021. “DC will go all out for Shreyas Iyer, and it should be in the range of 15-20 crores, and du Plessis above 10. Indian youngsters like Nehal Wadhera and Ashutosh Sharma play an important role and are the reason for any team’s success, and you want them to do very well. I think they will go to-. above 8 crores each.

Chopra mentioned that young Australian opener Jake Fraser-McGurk could be signed by the Punjab Kings, after an excellent first stint with DC in IPL 2024. “With Ricky Ponting being with the Punjab Kings, I think they will target Jake Fraser-McGurk, and they I would look forward to having him.”

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