The first day of the IPL auction has ended, and many things came into the spotlight. Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the IPL auction, as the star wicketkeeper was bought by LSG for Rs 27 crore. Also, Shreyas Iyer was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 26.75 crore, becoming the second most expensive player in the IPL auction. Teams spent a total of Rs 467.95 crore, with franchises filling up big players first and then focusing on other needs. A total of 72 players were sold, while 12 went unsold. See which teams have emerged as the biggest gainers and which still need some impressive names to complete their squads.
Lucknow Super Giants
Speaking about the first and foremost team, Lucknow Super Giants, they made a major move by purchasing marquee player Rishabh Pant. With Pant as their wicketkeeper, they now have solid coverage in that role, although they still need a backup for him.
Looking at their batting, adding Pant alongside Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni, they have bolstered their lineup. With players like Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Mitchell Marsh joining the mix, their batting strength looks formidable.
However, they still need to address some gaps. While Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan provide options, an experienced and impressive lineup is essential for LSG to solidify their squad.
Chennai Super Kings
The five-time champions already have a strong batting lineup with players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and MS Dhoni in the middle and lower order. In the IPL auction, they focused more on strengthening their top-order batting and spin bowling. They acquired R. Ashwin and Noor Ahmed, along with bringing back Rachin Ravindra, indicating a clear strategy to balance their batting and spin-bowling setup.
However, fast bowling remains a concern. Apart from Matheesha Pathirana, they lack big names in that department. Despite this, the team emerged as big gainers in the auction, with an impressive batting lineup and the addition of Ashwin, whose return feels like a homecoming and is undoubtedly a significant boost for CSK.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders made one of the most expensive purchases of the auction, acquiring Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 23.75 crore. Other additions include Quinton de Kock (Rs 3.6 crore) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Rs 2 crore), while Anrich Nortje strengthened their bowling lineup for Rs 6.5 crore.
Overall, the team has placed their squad with some notable names like Iyer and Gurbaz. With the services of Quinton de Kock, they no longer need to look for additional wicketkeepers. The team appears to be in good shape, having performed well on Day 1 of the IPL 2025 auction. Having filled key spots and covered many bases, KKR can certainly be counted among the big gainers of the day.
Punjab Kings
The team that started with a big purse but ended Day 1 with a significantly smaller one due to heavy spending as Punjab Kings emerged as big buyers, acquiring Shreyas Iyer for Rs 26.75 crore. Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh were retained for Rs 18 crore each. Additionally, Marcus Stoinis (Rs 11 crore) and Glenn Maxwell (Rs 4.2 crore) added depth to their all-rounder options.
While the team has covered the all-rounder spots, they now need a strong wicketkeeper and bowlers who can complement Chahal and Arshdeep. Despite these needs, Punjab Kings lived up to expectations and emerged as one of the big gainers of the day.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Team RCB fell short of expectations. While they made a notable acquisition by signing Phil Salt for Rs 11.5 crore, their Day 1 strategy appeared somewhat confusing. Despite having a big purse, they surprisingly refrained from targeting more marquee players.
They secured Jitesh Sharma for Rs 11 crore and added all-rounder Liam Livingstone for Rs 8.75 crore. Josh Hazlewood was brought in for Rs 2.5 crore to strengthen the pace attack, while Rashik Dhar also joined the team. However, the squad still lacks a perfect balance, and RCB didn’t finish Day 1 of the IPL mega auction on a strong note.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Apart from the above-mentioned teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad invested heavily in big names, acquiring Mohammed Shami for Rs 10 crore and Ishan Kishan for Rs 11.25 crore. Harshal Patel (Rs 8 crore) and Adam Zampa (Rs 2.4 crore) also joined the team to enhance their bowling depth.
With a strong bowling lineup, which was previously lacking, and an already power-packed batting unit, this auction strategy seems to have paid off for them. Sunrisers Hyderabad are surely among the big gainers today.
Apart from teams like Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Gujarat Titans, which went for big players, Delhi Capitals targeted KL Rahul. However, most of these teams still need to fill other gaps, which they will likely address on Day 2. It will be interesting to see which team ultimately comes out on top.
