NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant created historical past by turning into the costliest purchase ever in an IPL public sale as Lucknow Tremendous Giants broke the financial institution to accumulate the wicketkeeper batter throughout the mega public sale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
After being launched by the Delhi Capitals, Pant grew to become probably the most sought-after participant within the public sale, sparking a fierce bidding conflict earlier than Lucknow Tremendous Giants outbid Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals to accumulate him for a staggering Rs 27 crore.
For the primary time in his IPL profession, Pant will don the jersey of a franchise aside from Delhi Capitals, having performed each season for them since making his debut in 2016.
Pant has overtaken Australian pacer Mitchell Starc as the costliest participant in IPL historical past. Starc was purchased by the IPL 2024 champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, for a jaw-dropping Rs 24.75 crore final 12 months.
The 27-year-old Pant returned to captain the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 after being away from aggressive cricket for greater than a 12 months following a critical automobile accident in December 2022.
India’s prime wicketkeeper-batsman and the franchise parted methods after their disappointing sixth-placed end and Pant entered the public sale with a base value of Rs 2 crore.
Pant established his fame by means of his aggressive batting model and fearless perspective. His most profitable batting efficiency got here throughout IPL 2018, the place he gathered 684 runs while sustaining a strike fee of 173.60.
Throughout IPL 2019, Pant emerged as DC’s second-highest scorer with 488 runs at a strike fee of 162.66, contributing considerably to the workforce’s first playoff qualification since 2012.
When Shreyas Iyer suffered an harm earlier than IPL 2021, Pant was appointed as DC’s captain. Beneath his management, the workforce reached the summit of the factors desk earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the season. Upon the event’s resumption later in 2021, DC retained Pant as their skipper.
Pant was retained by the Delhi Capitals in 2022 for Rs 16 crore per season for the following three editions of the IPL.
In 111 IPL matches, Pant has scored 3,284 runs at a powerful common of 35.31 and a strike fee of 148.93, together with one century and 18 fifties. Throughout all T20s, the left-handed batter has amassed 5,022 runs in 202 matches at a mean of 31.78.
