In the IPL 2025 auction, franchises spent big money to acquire some star players. There was intense competition to get these players on their teams, leading to several records being broken. Rishabh Pant was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal were also sold for millions. IPL 2025 has had a great start, with 6 matches already played. Let’s take a look at how the 5 most expensive players have performed so far in IPL 2025. While the season is still long, with 74 matches, including the final, we’re already getting a glimpse of how these star players are starting.

The performance of Rishabh Pant, sold for a Record ₹27 Crore

Rishabh Pant was bought by the Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. His base price was ₹2 crore. As the captain of LSG, all eyes are on his performance. So far, the team has played only one match, with their second match scheduled against Hyderabad on Thursday.

In the first match against Delhi Capitals, Pant had a disappointing outing. He scored zero runs off 6 balls and also struggled in wicketkeeping, missing a crucial stumping in the last over. His captaincy was also criticized as Delhi secured a convincing win, thanks to Ashutosh Sharma’s fiery innings. A picture of Pant with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka went viral after the match, but it did little to change the narrative around his poor performance.

Performance so far: A complete flop

The performance of Shreyas Iyer, sold for ₹26.75 Crore

Shreyas Iyer was the second most expensive player in the IPL 2025 auction, sold to Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore, just ₹25 lakh less than Pant. Punjab also appointed him as their captain.

In Punjab’s first match, Iyer delivered a stunning unbeaten knock of 97 runs off 42 balls, narrowly missing his century. Despite having 6 balls left in the innings, he prioritized the team’s success over personal milestones by allowing his partner Shashank Singh to strike. His leadership on the field was also commendable.

Performance so far – Super-duper hit

The performance of Venkatesh Iyer, sold for ₹23.75 Crore

Kolkata Knight Riders purchased Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crore, making him the third most expensive player in the auction. However, his performance has not justified his price tag so far. In Kolkata’s opening match against Bangalore, Iyer scored only 6 runs off 7 balls, and the team lost by 7 wickets. In their second match against Rajasthan Royals, which Kolkata won by 8 wickets, Iyer was not included in the playing XI.

Performance so far – High shop, tasteless dishes

The performance of Arshdeep Singh, sold for ₹18 Crore

Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh was sold to Punjab Kings for ₹18 crore, making him the fourth most expensive player this season. Punjab played its first match against the Gujarat Titans on Tuesday and secured an 11-run victory. Arshdeep was the standout bowler for Punjab, taking 2 crucial wickets while conceding 36 runs in his 4-over spell. He was the team’s highest wicket-taker in the match and played a key role in the victory.

Performance so far – Superb

 

The performance of Yuzvendra Chahal was sold for ₹18 Crore

Yuzvendra Chahal was the fifth most expensive player in IPL 2025, bought by the Punjab Kings for ₹18 crore. Punjab has three of the five most expensive players in the season. In their opening match against the Gujarat Titans, Chahal bowled 3 overs, conceding 34 runs without taking any wickets. His performance was underwhelming, as he failed to make an impact with the ball.

Performance so far – Average