Abadi Al Johar Arena: Set nine, comprising of uncapped all-rounders, saw intense bidding wars, with Naman Dhir returning to MI for Rs 5.25 crore and Abdul Samad joining LSG for Rs 4.20 crore. DC secured Ashutosh Sharma for Rs 3.80 crore, while GT bagged Mahipal Lomror for Rs 1.70 crore. PBKS grabbed Harpreet Brar at Rs 1.50 crore, and DC added Sameer Rizvi for Rs 95 lakh. Nishant Sindhu went to GT for Rs 30 lakh, while Utkarsh Singh remained unsold in the IPL 2025 Auction here at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah on Sunday.
With a base price of Rs 30 lakh, Naman Dhir drew early interest as Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) sparred. RCB led briefly at Rs 50 lakh before Delhi Capitals (DC) entered and pushed the bid past Rs 1 crore. As MI reclaimed the lead at Rs 2 crore, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) joined the fray, escalating the bidding to Rs 3.40 crore.
MI’s decision to use the Right-to-Match (RTM) option proved pivotal, despite RR's final attempt to secure the player at Rs 5.25 crore. In the end, MI emerged victorious, welcoming back Dhir, a versatile all-rounder, with a whopping payday.