Australia’s Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in the history of IPL , but former India cricketer Irfan Pathan reckons Rishabh Pant will surpass it. Starc was lapped up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping Rs 24.75 cr. But then, Starc was released by the franchise ahead of the Retentions. Path feels a number of teams would gun for Pant as he can be a captain, keep wickets and be one of your premier batters. Pant, who was away from competitive cricket for over a year, made a sensational comeback recently. Despite India’s poor show in recent Tests with New Zealand, Pant still held his own and was in good form. Pathan took to his social media page and wrote.

‘Mitchell Starc’s auction record is in danger. Rishabh Pant is ready to break it!’ Irfan’s post on X read. 

The much-awaited IPL auction takes place on November 24-25 in Jeddah. It will be a two-day affair. 

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Not long back, a former Pakistan cricketer admitted that Pant could go for over Rs 50 cr. Pant’s leadership qualities and his ability with the bat and his sharp glovework make him an unmissable candidate. 

It will feature 574 players, including 366 Indians and 208 overseas cricketers. Among them are 318 uncapped Indian players and 12 from overseas, vying for one of the 204 available slots, including 70 for overseas players.

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The auction will also see significant procedural updates, with the marquee players divided into two sets for the first time since 2018. This promises a strategic edge to franchises as they rebuild their squads.