IPL Auction 2025: Top 5 most expensive bowlers sold

Arshdeep Singh. (Source -IPL)

The IPL 2025 Auction in Jeddah was two days filled with roller-coaster entertainment and drama, with franchises going all out to secure top talent. Rishabh Pant grabbed the spotlight, becoming the most expensive player with a whopping INR 27 crore bid from Lucknow Super Giants, closely followed by Shreyas Iyer at INR 26.75 crore, who joined Punjab Kings.

International stars like Jos Buttler, who was picked up by Gujarat Titans for INR 15.75 crore, and talents like Jitesh Sharma (From INR 1 crore to 11 crore) made big signings. The auction was a rollercoaster of bidding wars, with 577 players under the hammer and 182 ultimately finding a place in the league. The auction also saw teams looking to strengthen their bowling line-ups. 

Teams recognized the need for strong bowling attacks after the run-fest of the 2024 edition, investing heavily in pacers and spinners. The auction saw a total spend of INR 639.15 crore, with 62 overseas players and 120 Indian players securing contracts. PBKS, with the largest purse of INR 110.50 crore, looked to rebuild a new team for the upcoming season.

Here are the five bowlers who got big bids in the IPL 2025 mega-auction:

5. Jofra Archer (INR 12.50 crore, Rajasthan Royals):

Jofra Archer. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

England’s ace pacer Jofra Archer made a return to the Rajasthan Royals, the franchise where his IPL career first took flight. The speedster was picked for a whopping INR 12.50 crore, ending a bidding war with the Mumbai Indians. Archer’s initial stint with the Royals from 2018 to 2020 was impressive.

He quickly became a fan favorite, winning the Most Valuable Player award in 2020 with 20 wickets and 113 crucial runs. After spending time with MI and battling injuries, his last-minute inclusion in the auction created excitement amongst the franchise. The 29-year-old will be heading the bowling attack and will partner with indigenous talents like Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande.

4. Josh Hazelwood (INR 12.50 crore, Royal Challengers Bengaluru):

Josh Hazlewood (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood for an impressive INR 12.5 crore. Hazlewood will don the red and blue jersey once again after missing the 2024 edition. The right-armer’s breakthrough in the cash-rich league came with Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021, where he played a crucial role in their title victory, claiming 11 wickets in nine matches.

A year later, RCB recognized his potential in the 2022 mega auction, acquiring him for INR 7.75 crore giving them huge dividends, as he bagged 20 wickets in 12 matches. Despite missing the 2024 season and playing only three matches in 2023 due to an Achilles injury, Hazlewood will share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Interestingly, Hazelwood earned the biggest pay cheque amongst the Australians who were picked in the auction.

3. Trent Boult (INR 12.50 crore, Mumbai Indians):

Trent Boult (Photo Source: X (Twitter)

Veteran New Zealand pacer Trent Boult made an impressive return to Mumbai Indians (MI), securing a whopping INR 12.50 crore bid in the IPL 2025 auction. The left-arm pacer’s reunion with Jasprit Bumrah will once again make them one of the most devastating bowling pairs in IPL history.

Boult’s previous stint with MI in 2020 where he played a crucial role in the side’s title-winning campaign, claiming 25 wickets. Despite being released after two seasons, his abilities remained perfect during his time with Rajasthan Royals, where he picked 45 wickets in 42 matches. The five-time champions have also got the service of Deepak Chahar making one of the best pace attacks in the league.

2. Arshdeep Singh (INR 18 crore, Punjab Kings):

Arshdeep Singh. (Source – Getty Images)

Indian left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh secured a massive INR 18 crore contract with Punjab Kings. The auction began with Sunrisers Hyderabad initially placing a winning bid of INR 15.75 crore, but Singh’s previous franchise used their Right to Match (RTM) card to retain their prized player.

Singh has had an impressive track record for Punjab with 76 wickets in 65 IPL matches and was a key player for India in the 2024 T20 World Cup where he was the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps. The young speedster will be given the responsibility of picking wickets for the side at crucial times.

1. Yuzvendra Chahal (INR 18 crore, Punjab Kings):

Yuzvendra Chahal, Punjab Kings. (Source – Twitter/X)

Yuzvendra Chahal became the most expensive spinner in IPL auction history, securing a massive INR 18 crore bid from Punjab Kings. The right-arm spinner, who is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, has picked 205 wickets from 160 matches, with an average of 22.45 and an economy rate of 7.84.

After being released by Rajasthan Royals, Chahal triggered a bidding war that saw him rise from a base price of INR 2 crore to his record-breaking final price, seeing a 177% increase. This surpasses the previous highest spinner auction price of INR 10.75 crore for Wanindu Hasaranga in 2022. Punjab Kings, who entered the auction with the highest purse of INR 110.50 crore, spent 56.78% of their budget on three marquee players, with Chahal being a key addition to address their spin bowling requirements.