IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Kolkata Knight Riders' Big Win with Venkatesh Iyer

In a surprising move at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spent a whopping ₹23.75 crore to secure the services of star batter Venkatesh Iyer. This came after a fierce bidding war, with several franchises vying for his signature, including Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Iyer’s base price was ₹2 crore, but after intense competition, KKR emerged victorious.

Interestingly, KKR had not retained Iyer before the auction, but his value skyrocketed during the bidding. The battle between KKR and RCB became particularly intense, with the bidding surpassing ₹22 crore. Eventually, KKR sealed the deal with a bid of ₹23.75 crore, making Iyer the third most expensive player in the auction so far.

The auction drama began with KKR making the first bid for Iyer. Following KKR’s initial move, both Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore entered the fray. The competition was fierce, but Kolkata ultimately triumphed. This move marked a significant increase from Iyer's ₹8 crore price tag in the previous season, reflecting his growing value in IPL cricket.

With this signing, Iyer became the highest-paid all-rounder in IPL history. This massive deal places him among the top earners in the 2025 auction, where a few notable players also fetched record-breaking prices.

Earlier in the auction, Rishabh Pant created history by becoming the highest-paid player, with Lucknow Super Giants securing him for ₹27 crore. This surpassed the previous record set by Shreyas Iyer, who had briefly held the top spot after being acquired by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore.

Additionally, Arshdeep Singh started the bidding with a ₹18 crore deal for Punjab Kings, and Kagiso Rabada went to Gujarat Titans for ₹10.75 crore, adding to the excitement and stakes of the 2025 IPL Mega Auction.