Robin Uthappa has made a bold prediction about Rishabh Pant’s potential price tag in the highly anticipated 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The former Delhi Capitals captain, who was not retained by his franchise, is expected to become one of the marquee players in the auction scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Robin Uthappa believes Pant could fetch between ₹25-28 crore, potentially making him the highest-paid player in IPL history. Uthappa identified several franchises, including Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), as likely contenders for Pant’s services. He highlighted Pant’s dual value as a leader and a dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman.
“I feel Rishabh Pant will go for around ₹25-28 crore. Punjab Kings and RCB could both target him for leadership roles. He’s definitely set to be the highest-paid player in this auction,” Robin Uthappa shared during a discussion on JioCinema.
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Echoing Uthappa’s sentiments, cricket analyst Aakash Chopra also sees Pant as the centrepiece of this auction. Chopra expects fierce bidding wars for the star player, with Indian cricketers being the most coveted assets.
“Rishabh Pant could become the most expensive player in IPL history. If Punjab Kings have a good understanding with Pant, they’ll go hard for him. Otherwise, RCB is another strong contender,” Aakash Chopra noted. He also emphasized that Pant’s unmatched skillset would attract multiple franchises.
Beyond Rishabh Pant, Robin Uthappa foresees Delhi Capitals (DC) attempting to buy back Shreyas Iyer, who previously played for the franchise from 2015 to 2021. He estimates Iyer’s price range to be ₹15-20 crore and suggested that veterans like Faf du Plessis might command bids exceeding ₹10 crore.
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Robin Uthappa also highlighted young Indian talents like Nehal Wadhera and Ashutosh Sharma, predicting they would secure bids above ₹8 crore each. Meanwhile, Chopra believes Australian opener Jake Fraser-McGurk could be on Punjab Kings’ radar, especially with Ricky Ponting’s involvement in the team’s management. “Ponting’s presence at Punjab Kings makes Jake Fraser-McGurk a likely target for them,” Aakash Chopra stated.
The 2025 IPL mega auction is poised to shatter records, with Rishabh Pant leading the pack as the marquee attraction.
