On the first day of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Arshdeep Singh became the most expensive Indian fast bowler in history as Punjab Kings acquired him for 18 crore by using their RTM option. Arshdeep was released by Punjab Kings before the mega auction, only to increase the left-arm pacer’s price by 14 crore.
During the bidding process, Arshdeep Singh became India’s most expensive player for some minutes, surpassing Yuvraj Singh’s record of Rs 16 crore set in the IPL 2014. However, the bidding battle for Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant left Arshdeep in third place in terms of being the most expensive Indian player in the IPL.
Arshdeep came to the auction table with a base price of Rs 2 crore. Chennai Super Kings were the first to raise the paddle for Arshdeep without any delay after the announcement of his name. The Delhi Capitals joined the five-time champions in their chase for the left-arm pacer. CSK left the bidding war at 7.50 crore before Gujarat Titans came in to bid for the southpaw.
Several teams showed their bidding intent in the left-arm Indian seamer. After CSK left the bid, Delhi Capitals came into the spotlight with a bid of 9.75 crores before being joined by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which increased the price to 10 crores. The RCB abandoned its plan at 10.75 crore and was followed by the Rajasthan Royals as the bidding battle continued.
Gujarat Titans also left the bid at 12.50 crore, while Sunrisers Hyderabad upped their paddle for Arshdeep. SRH placed an offer of 15.75 crore, while Punjab Kings raised their paddle for the right to match. SRH boosted the bid to 18 crore, and PBKS matched it, acquiring Arshdeep for 18 crore.
Arshdeep Singh made his IPL debut in 2019 for the Punjab Kings. He was picked up with a base price of Rs 20 lakhs by PBKS in the 2019 auction. In his five-year tenure with the Punjab Kings, Arshdeep has featured in 65 matches, taking 76 wickets, including a five-wicket haul.
