NEW DELHI: IPL title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer‘s record of becoming the most expensive player in history of IPL was short-lived as Rishabh Pant shattered all time record after Lucknow Super Giants splurged a humongous Rs 27 crore to buy the flamboyant India keeper-batter.
IPL 2024 Kolkata Knight Riders opened the bidding war for Iyer in an attempt to bring their IPL-winning captain back into their roster.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) entered the bidding for Iyer, with the bid quickly shooting up to Rs 5 crore. PBKS took the lead at Rs 6 crore, prompting steady paddle lifts from both PBKS and KKR. PBKS pulled out, leaving KKR in the lead at Rs 7.25 crore.
Delhi Capitals (DC) then joined the fray, competing fiercely with KKR in an aggressive bidding war. KKR had Dwayne Bravo confer with Venky Mysore, who signaled that they were out.
DC surged ahead, pushing the bid to Rs 10 crore. PBKS returned to shake things up, as both teams were in need of a captain. DC raised the bid to Rs 13 crore, and eventually, they took the lead at Rs 15 crore.
The paddles continued to rise steadily across both tables as the bid for Shreyas Iyer soared. DC pushed the bid to Rs 20 crore, with the stakes already high. As the tension built, DC increased their offer to Rs 23 crore, breaking some records along the way.
DC made a strong comeback, raising the bid to Rs 24.50 crore, and soon after, the bid hit Rs 25 crore with DC once again in the lead.
DC secured Iyer for now at Rs 26 crore, but PBKS paused before re-entering the bidding war, pushing the bid to Rs 26.25 crore.
DC took a moment to reassess, then outbid PBKS. PBKS responded with Rs 26.75 crore, but in the end, DC decided to tap out, securing Iyer for Rs 26.75 crore.
