IPL 2025: Pant to Kohli: How top 6 expensive players performed in the last season
The IPL 2025 season is approaching, with focus on the top six most expensive players and their performance in the previous season.
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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is just around the corner and the excitement has already begun to build over the tournament. Ahead of the 18th season of the IPL, there was an auction and retention, where the franchises broke their banks in order to retain and buy the players at the mega auction in Riyadh in November last year.
With the IPL 2025 is just four days away, all the eyes will be on the marquee players to justify their hefty price tags. Most of the players were retained or bought by the franchises for INR 20 crore or above, putting them in the list of the most expensive players in the IPL history. On that note, let’s take a look at how the top six expensive players of the IPL 2025 performed in the last season of the tournament.
Top 6 expensive players performance in IPL 2025:
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1. Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant will be leading Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025 after an eight-year stint with Delhi Capitals, where he began his IPL career. RPSG-owned LSG franchise acquired the services of Pant for a whopping INR 27 crore, making the most expensive player in the history of IPL. Delhi Capitals wanted to have their former captain back in the squad after releasing him at the auction, but could not match the price set by Lucknow Super Giants in the bidding war.
In the IPL 2024, Rishabh Pant had an emotional return to competitive cricket after being on the sidelines for 15 months due to injuries he sustained from a near-fatal car crash on January 1, 2023. He had a good season on his return to professional cricket, amassing 446 runs, including three fifties, at an average of 40.55 in 13 matches.
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2. Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer is the second-most expensive player in the history of IPL when Punjab Kings acquired his services for a whopping INR 26.75 crore at the mega IPL 2025 Auction in Riyadh last year. Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title last season, but he was not retained by the franchise ahead of the auction. Shreyas Iyer’s name attracted bidding wars between KKR, PBKS and Delhi Capitals before Punjab Kings eventually secured his services.
In IPL 2024, Shreyas had a decent season as he amassed 351 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 39 in 15 matches. However, the 30-year-old guided the KKR to end their 10-year IPL title drought, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. In the upcoming IPL season, Shreyas Iyer will be leading Punjab Kings.
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3. Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer prompted the Kolkata Knight Riders to break the bank at the IPL 2025 Auction, getting acquired for 23.75 crore, making him the third-most expensive player. Surprisingly, Venkatesh was released from the KKR squad, as the franchise retained Rinku Singh (13 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (12 crore), Sunil Narine (12 crore), Andre Russell (12 crore), Harshit Rana (4 crore), and Ramandeep Singh (4 crore). Strategically, Kolkata Knight Riders released Venkatesh Iyer from the squad, so that they can buy him at a much higher price at the IPL 2025 Auction.
In IPL 2024, Venkatesh Iyer had a good season as he amassed 370 runs, including 4 fifties, at an average of 46.25 in 14 matches. He also played a pivotal role in helping KKR clinch their third IPL title. Ahead of the IPL 2025, Venkatesh Iyer has been appointed as the vice-captain, while Ajinkya Rahane named as the skipper. Iyer will look to contribute to KKR’s success again in the upcoming IPL season.
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4. Heinrich Klaasen
Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen is the most expensive retained player in the history of IPL. Klaasen was retained for INR 23 crore by SRH ahead of the IPL 2025 Auction. The South African cricketer has been part of Hyderabad-based team since 2023, when he was picked for 5.25 crore before he was retained for the same for the IPL 2024. Moreover, Klaasen is the second-most expensive overseas player in the history of IPL, after Mitchell Starc who was picked by KKR for INR 24.75 crore at the IPL 2024 mini-auction.
In IPL 2024, Klaasen had his best season, amassing 479 runs, including 4 fifties, at an average of 39.92 in 16 matches. He played a pivotal role in helping Sunrisers Hyderabad reach the final but fell short of taking home the coveted trophy after losing to eventual champions Kolkata Knight Riders. Heinrich Klaasen will look to have another great season while contributing to the success of the team.
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5. Virat Kohli
Before the IPL 2025 Auction, Virat Kohli was the most expensive Indian player in the history of IPL, having been retained for INR 21 crore by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Kohli has been part of RCB since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. Despite the team has not yet won the IPL title, Virat Kohli has continued to play for the RCB, showcasing his loyalty towards the franchise/
In IPL 2024, Kohli was the Orange Cap winner as he finished the season as the highest run-getter, amassing 741 runs, including a century and two fifties, at an average of 61.75 in 15 matches. IPL 2025, RCB stalwart will not only have another great season but also contribute to the success of the team, as they quest for their maiden IPL title.
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6. Nicholas Pooran
West Indies flamboyant batter Nicholas is the third-most expensive overseas player in the history of IPL, as he was retained for INR 21 crore by Lucknow Super Giants. Before LSG bought Rishabh Pant for INR 27 crore, Pooran was their most expensive player. The West Indies star batter has been part of the Lucknow Super Giants since 2023 after he was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022.
In IPL 2024, Nicholas Pooran had a stellar season, amassing 499 runs, including three fifties at an average of 62.37 in 14 matches. It was the best season of his IPL career, as he aggregated over 400 runs for the first time in a single edition of the tournament. Pooran will look to have another great season while playing a role in LSG's run for the maiden title.
