Shreyas Iyer 'Gobsmacked' by Record IPL Bid from Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer expressed his astonishment at the whopping price his franchise paid for him for the 2025 IPL season. Despite a fruitful 2024, Iyer did not expect the Rs 26.75 crore offer, which briefly made him the most expensive player before Lucknow signed Rishabh Pant.

Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer shared his surprise at the eye-popping sum his franchise spent to secure him for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Iyer, who will lead PBKS next season, admitted he was 'gobsmacked' by the Rs 26.75 crore bid.

Iyer, who had a memorable 2024 season, found himself briefly becoming the IPL's most expensive player. A high moment of 2024, PBKS picked him up at Rs 26.75 crores, a record swiftly overtaken when Lucknow Super Giants acquired Rishabh Pant for Rs 27 crores.

Reflecting on the bidding war, Iyer, playing in Hyderabad at the time, said he was so stunned by the escalating numbers that he opted to block out the noise by covering his ears with cotton, even leaving the room at one point. Despite losing his BCCI central contract, Iyer's consistent T20 form, including leading Kolkata Knight Riders to their first IPL title in a decade, solidified his impressive valuation.

(With inputs from agencies.)