INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history on Sunday when he sold for a record $3.2
million, as teams splashed out on world-class cricketers for the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.A total of 577 players are up for grabs at
the two-day auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with Pant, England veteran James Anderson and New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra among the
top names.Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad meanwhile had a big pay day as he went to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings for $1.18
million.The 2023 record of 247.5 million rupees Kolkata paid to Australian Mitchell Starc was first breached by Punjab Kings, who the IPL
said snapped up Shreyas Iyer for a &handsome& 267.5 million rupees ($3.17 million).Iyer, 29, captained Kolkata Knight Riders to their third
IPL crown this year, AFP reported.New Punjab coach Ricky Ponting, who left Delhi Capitals after this season, said they will make Shreyas
captain if he agrees.&I have worked with him three or four years at Delhi and obviously he is a championship winning captain from last
season,& Ponting said.&We have got someone there that can do the job if that&s the way we decide to go, so I am delighted to have him
back.&Shreyas& record rapidly tumbled.The IPL reported Lucknow Super Giants paid a &gigantic& 270 million rupees for 27-year-old star keeper
Pant.&Rishabh&s history in the IPL and in the sport of cricket is unparallelled in terms of his skill, what he brings to the table,& Lucknow
owner Shashwat Goenka, said of the record buy.&I think he came at what we had anticipated for him
We are very excited to have him as part of the squad.&Pant made an impressive return to competitive cricket in this year&s IPL after a
serious car crash in December 2022, AFP reported.He came in as captain of Delhi Capitals but he and the team parted ways.Later on day one
Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer hit the jackpot when he went to Kolkata for a whopping $2.81 million after a fierce bidding war with Royal
Challengers Bengaluru.Venkatesh, a left-hand batter and right-arm medium pace bowler who was released by Kolkata only to be bought back,
became the third-highest buy of the day.Sizzling startThe auction started on a sizzling note when Indian quick Arshdeep Singh began a
bidding war, which ended with Punjab getting the left-arm pace bowler for $2.13 million.This year, Australian left-arm quick Starc was not
retained by Kolkata — and went to Delhi for $1.39 million.Fellow quick Josh Hazlewood went for $1.48 million to Bengaluru, while England
fast bowler Jofra Archer cost the same amount for the Rajasthan Royals.New Zealand quick Trent Boult returned to five-time winners Mumbai
Indians for $1.48 million.Gujarat Titans paid $1.87 million for England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler, while India pace bowler Mohammed
Shami went to Sunrisers Hyderabad for $1.18 million.Australian David Warner and England&s Jonny Bairstow went unsold, but could be brought
back later in the auction.The IPL has generated billions in revenue since its inception in 2008, turning the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) into one of the richest governing bodies in sport, AFP reported.In June 2022 it sold the broadcast rights for five IPL seasons
to global media giants for $6.2 billion.The BCCI has sought to broaden the tournament&s profile by staging the auction abroad.Last year it
was held in Dubai, a regular host for international cricket tournaments.Like Saudi Arabia, it has a large base of prospective fans among its
migrant worker population.Putting the auction on in Jeddah is seen as a win-win for a tournament expanding its global reach and a kingdom
using sports to improve its image.The IPL is a huge earner for Indian cricket and the tournament makes more than $11 billion for the economy
each year.The pioneering IPL helped make Twenty20 cricket hugely popular, spawning copycat events worldwide.Dates for next year&s IPL have
not been released but seasons usually run from March to May.Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad had a big pay day as he went to five-time
champions Chennai Super Kings for $1.18 million
