The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction has been a rollercoaster! Money has been splashed out like anything at the mega event, with Rishabh Pant becoming the costliest IPL player ever. He was bought by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a mountainous Rs 27 crore, adding muscle power to the squad that now have Nicholas Pooran, David Miller, and Mitchell Marsh. As for Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, the duo were expected to attract huge bids too. While Shreyas Iyer had his moment when PBKS splashed almost Rs 27 crore on him, DC had a steal buy in the form of Rahul at Rs 14 crore.
Confirmed IPL captains ft. Pant, Iyer & KL
Pant or Pooran, who will captain LSG?
As mentioned above, LSG have built a dangerous batting unit. But it would be a bit interesting to see who they would appoint as captain for IPL 2025. While one would feel it will be a straightforward choice in Rishabh Pant, one should not rule out Nicholas Pooran. Pooran was retained at an exorbitant price of Rs 21 crore.
Pooran has captained his national team, the West Indies, and is one of the most dangerous T20 batters. Pant, meanwhile, has proven his mettle as a captain but hasn’t found enough success in the IPL. But given his stature and being the face of the IPL auction, Pant is almost certain to become the next LSG captain.
Shreyas Iyer: Tailor-made PBKS captain
Shreyas Iyer is definitely going to captain the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He has reunited with Ricky Ponting, who previously worked with the Australian legend at the Delhi Capitals (DC). The duo even took the franchise to the IPL 2020 Final, where MI won the encounter. Iyer got a whirlwind of Rs 26.75 crore, facing stiff competition from DC.
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PBKS have also stacked up a strong unit, having racked up Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Under the tutelage of Ponting, Iyer would not only love to replicate DC’s success but aim to go a step further.
KL Rahul: From LSG to DC
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have swapped jerseys. While Pant used to skipper DC, Rahul was the face of LSG. But now, KL Rahul will find his home at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. While many thought RCB would go heavily after him, DC struck gold. After the IPL 2025 Retentions, many thought that Axar Patel might be a great left-field solution if DC don’t get any captain. But now, with KL Rahul at the franchise, he will straightaway be the best choice. Rahul took LSG to two consecutive qualifications and would hope for a fruitful cycle at DC.
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