Last update:November 27, 2024, 3:30 p.m. IST

Four players – Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer and Heinrich Klaasen – have surpassed Virat Kohli’s pay scale in IPL 2025.

Which players will earn more than Virat Kohli in IPL 2025? (BCCI/IPL)

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction saw a total of 182 players sold for a combined Rs 639.15 crore.

Among the retained players, Virat Kohli is the highest player as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have agreed a deal with the Indian star for Rs 21 crore. Only four players exceeded his salary range at the auction.

Which players will earn more than Virat Kohli in IPL 2025 –

Rishabh Pant edged out Shreyas Iyer to become the most expensive buy in IPL history with a winning bid of Rs 27 crore from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), while Venkatesh Iyer was the surprise showstopper during the mega auction.

Shreyas, who led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title earlier this year, and Delhi Capitals (DC) icon Pant, have reaped the benefits of making themselves available for auction following differences with their respective teams .

Venkatesh was also part of Shreyas’ triumphant KKR outfit and the franchise had to pay a whopping Rs 23.75 crore to bring him back via the Right to Match card after not retaining him.

The successful all-rounder, who has become an integral part of the KKR set-up over the years, took advantage of an intense bidding battle between the Kolkata side and Royal Challengers Bengaluru to end up with a huge sum.

Shreyas, on the other hand, was the first to surpass Mitchell Starc as the most expensive buy in the IPL with cash-rich Punjab Kings (PBKS) shelling out Rs 26.75 crore for their potential captain ahead for Pant to surpass his fellow Indian by attracting Rs 25 lakh. no more KJV.

Former DC teammates Shreyas and Pant have faced adversity over the last two years but have shown remarkable resilience and courage to bounce back.

Pant beat the odds to make a successful return to international cricket after a potentially fatal car accident in 2022, while Shreyas put behind his exclusion from the BCCI’s central contract list to lead KKR to their third IPL trophy more early this year.

Delhi Capitals used the Right To Match to buy out Pant at Rs 20.75 crore, but LSG increased the offer to Rs 27 crore and the former decided not to match that amount.

PBKS’s Shreyas and LSG’s Pant are expected to lead their new teams as Venkatesh has also become a candidate to captain KKR in the IPL 2025, which begins on March 14.

Finally, Heinrich Klaasen was the main retainer of SRH and will get Rs 23 crore – the highest value in the retention round.

The South African keeper-batsman has scored a total of 448 runs in 12 matches for the Orange Army, and in the 2024 edition, he has scored 479 runs in 16 matches since joining SRH during the sale at the IPL 2023 auction.

(With contributions from agencies)