Top cricketers with highest salary in IPL 2025 after player auction in Saudi Arabia

The riches of the Indian Premier League were on full display in Saudi Arabia on Sunday as the best cricketers in the world went under the hammer during the player auction for the 2025 season.

Wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant, as expected, was the most sought after player in the auction and became the most expensive player in the league's history. He was snapped up for a record $3.2 million by Lucknow Super Giants in Jeddah.

The other player expected to attract as much attention was Shreyas Iyer who had guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title last time but was not retained. Shreyas went to Punjab Kings for 267.5 million rupees ($3.17m), undoubtedly as the leader of a squad that has been completely revamped.

"I have worked with him three or four years at Delhi and obviously he is a championship winning captain from last season," new Punjab coach Ricky Ponting, who left Delhi Capitals after this season, said.

"We have got someone there that can do the job if that's the way we decide to go, so I am delighted to have him back."

Wicketkeeper Pant was on the radar of many franchises looking for a reliable Indian batsman, keeper and leader. While Pant has a below par record with the bat in T20 cricket, he is still in high demand in the IPL.

And, after a record-breaking round of bidding, Lucknow agreed to pay 270m rupees for the 27-year-old Pant.

However, as is the case every year, there were a few bizarre picks during the auction. Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer went to Kolkata Knight Riders for a staggering $2.8m after a fierce bidding war with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Venkatesh was among the players released by Kolkata and could have easily retained him for a lot less money.

Similarly, Punjab ended up buying the services of left-arm seamer and World Cup hero Arshdeep Singh for $2.1m even though he was part of the Punjab team and could have been retained earlier, especially since the franchise had only held back two uncapped players.

With a little over 570 players participating in the two-day auction, which concludes on Monday, there were bound to be some notable misses. Australian opener David Warner did not find any takers, while England's Jonny Bairstow also went unsold.

Those who have gone unsold can still be bought during the closing stages of the auction by teams looking to fill up remaining spots in the squad. However, most will likely go for their base price at that point.

Top 10 most expensive players at IPL 2025 auction

1. Rishabh Pant – 270 million rupees ($3.2m), Lucknow Super Giants

2. Shreyas Iyer – 267.5m rupees ($3.18m), Punjab Kings

3. Venkatesh Iyer – 237.5m rupees ($2.8m), Kolkata Knight Riders

=4. Arshdeep Singh – 180m rupees ($2.1m), Punjab Kings

=4. Yuzvendra Chahal – 180m rupees ($2.1m), Punjab Kings

=4. Jos Buttler – 157.5m rupees ($1.9m), Gujarat Titans

7. KL Rahul – 140m rupees ($1.6m), Delhi Capitals

=8. Trent Boult – 125m rupees ($1.5m), Mumbai Indians

=8. Josh Hazlewood – 125m rupees ($1.5m), Royal Challengers Bangaluru

=8. Jofra Archer – 125m rupees ($1.5m), Rajasthan Royals

Top 10 highest-earning players in IPL 2025

1. Rishabh Pant – 270 million rupees ($3.2m), Lucknow Super Giants

2. Shreyas Iyer – 267.5m rupees ($3.18m), Punjab Kings

3. Venkatesh Iyer – 237.5m rupees ($2.8m), Kolkata Knight Riders

4. Heinrich Klaasen – 230 million rupees ($2.7m), Sunrisers Hyderabad (retained)

=5. Virat Kohli – 210m rupees ($2.5m), Royal Challengers Bangaluru (r)

=5. Nicholas Pooran – 210m rupees ($2.5m), Lucknow Super Giants (r)

=7. Arshdeep Singh – 180m rupees ($2.1m), Punjab Kings

=7. Yuzvendra Chahal – 180m rupees ($2.1m), Punjab Kings

=7. Ruturaj Gaikwad – 180m rupees ($2.1m), Chennai Super Kings (r)

=7. Ravindra Jadeja – 180m rupees ($2.1m), Chennai Super Kings (r)