IPL Mega Auction LIVE: Punjab Kings get Glenn Maxwell, Chennai Super Kings homecoming for Ravichandran Ashwin!

Ravichandran Ashwin was brought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 9.75 crore during Sunday's Day 1 of the IPL Mega Auction 2025. Big-hitting Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was made a return to his former side Punjab Kings for Rs 4.20 crore. Royal Challengers Bengaluru didn't use the Right to Match (RTM) rule (which allows former franchises the option to buy back their previous player for the sold price) to keep the 36-year-old Aussie.

Chennai-born Ravi Ashwin, 38, played for the MS Dhoni-led franchise from 2008 to 2015 before switching to the Pune Super Giants. He later played for Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals before joining the pink camp. Having played 212 games in the tournament so far, the experienced spin-bowling all-rounder has 180 wickets to his credit.

Veteran Maxwell played for Punjab Kings (Kings XI Punjab back then) between 2012 and 2017. He was among the key contributors of the campaign that witnessed the team becoming the IPL runners-up. After leaving PBKS in 2017, the big-hitting batter who can also bowl off-spin played for Delhi Capitals in 2018 before joining PBKS again in 2020. He joined the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ranks in 2021 and played alongside Virat Kohli and Plessis. Having played 134 games since the 2012 season, Maxwell managed 2,771 runs and 37 wickets in the tournament. 

IPL Mega Auction Day 1

Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer bagged eye-watering deals in Sunday's auction shattering the previous payment record in the world's richest T20 tournament. Iyer was the first one to surpass Mitchell Starc as the IPL's most expensive buy with cash-heavy Punjab Kings shelling out Rs 26.75 crore for their potential captain before Pant overtook the fellow Indian by attracting Rs 25 lakh more from LSG. 

A total of 574 players have registered for the two-day auction ahead of next year's edition of the 10-team tournament. Among the second set of players, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal drew an impressive winning bid of Rs 18 crore from Punjab Kings while former LSG captain KL Rahul turned out to be a bargain buy for Delhi Capitals at Rs 14 crore.

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India pacer Mohammed Shami, who recently made a comeback from injury, was bought by SunRisers Hyderabad for Rs 10 crore.

Among others, left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh's consistency earned him a massive bid of Rs 18 crore, also from Punjab Kings via the Right to Match card, while South African speedster Kagiso Rabada was bought for Rs 10.75 crore by Gujarat Titans.