The IPL mega auction 2025 will be held in Riyadh on November 24 and 25, marking the event’s second appearance outside of India. According to a report published by Sportstar, the IPL operations team is presently in Riyadh finalizing the venue and other logistical requirements.
The latest auction (a one-day event) was held in Dubai. Mitchell Starc was the highest bid of that auction signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for a stunning Rs 24.75 crore, while Pat Cummins joined Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.50 crore.
This auction marks the introduction of Mallika Sagar to the bidding table as IPL’s first female auctioneer. She took over from veteran Hugh Edmeades at this auction. The previous mega auction was held in 2022, whose highest bid was Ishan Kishan, who was secured by the Mumbai Indians for Rs 15.25 crore.
This time the record of highest bid for a player could be broken as the purse of a team was increased to 120 crores. However, majority of the teams have lost almost one-third of their auction purse in retaining players, but despite this, franchisees have sufficient money to beat the highest bid for a player in the upcoming auction.
In this auction, all eyes will be on Rishabh Pant, who was released by the Delhi Capitals. KL Rahul will also be a hot pick for teams. Shreyas Iyer, Mitchel Starc, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Marcus Stoinis, and Rachin Ravindra are other big names that attract humongous bids in the upcoming mega auction in Riyadh.
