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Royal Challengers Bengaluru assembled a strong side in the IPL 2025 auction held on Sunday and Monday at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The franchise had retained star batter Virat Kohli for Rs 21 crore, Rajat Patidar for Rs 11 crore and uncapped pacer Yash Dayal for Rs 5 crore. They also made a few big buys in the auction, including Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood for Rs 12.5 crore, England's Liam Livingtone and Phil Salt for Rs 8.75 crore and Rs 11.50 crores.
However, it was the Indian wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma who was the biggest gainer. The franchise shelled out Rs 11 crore on the finisher. He got a salary hike of 5,500 per cent - which is an IPL record by some distance. The amount he will receive in the 2025 season is 55 times more than his previous IPL salary of Rs 20 lakh. He was picked up for his base price by PBKS in the IPL 2022 mega auction and then retained him for the same price for the next two seasons.
Sharma's rise has been exponential since making his debut in 2022. He had two good seasons for PBKS in 2022 and 2023, scoring at a strike rate of 163 and 156, respectively. He hit 21 sixes in the 2023 season, which earned him a spot in the Indian T20I side as a wicketkeeper and finisher. He was given the designation of vice-captain by PNKS last season after regular captain Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out with an injury.
The 31-year-old comes with a specific skill set. He is one of the rare players who plays the role of a finisher. That is also why he still remains on the fringes of the Indian T20I side. He was a part of the Indian squad that beat South Africa 3-1 in the T20I series earlier this month.
RCB needed a keeper-batter to replace Dinesh Karthik. The veteran cricketer announced his retirement from all forms after holding the finisher and keeper's spot in RCB for the last few seasons. The Vidarbha batter is an ideal replacement for Karthik. He can slot in at No.5 or below and play those useful cameos, while the likes of Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar can form the core of the batting unit.
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However, it was the Indian wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma who was the biggest gainer. The franchise shelled out Rs 11 crore on the finisher. He got a salary hike of 5,500 per cent - which is an IPL record by some distance. The amount he will receive in the 2025 season is 55 times more than his previous IPL salary of Rs 20 lakh. He was picked up for his base price by PBKS in the IPL 2022 mega auction and then retained him for the same price for the next two seasons.
Sharma's rise has been exponential since making his debut in 2022. He had two good seasons for PBKS in 2022 and 2023, scoring at a strike rate of 163 and 156, respectively. He hit 21 sixes in the 2023 season, which earned him a spot in the Indian T20I side as a wicketkeeper and finisher. He was given the designation of vice-captain by PNKS last season after regular captain Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out with an injury.
Why did RCB pay Rs 11 crore to Jitesh Sharma
The 31-year-old comes with a specific skill set. He is one of the rare players who plays the role of a finisher. That is also why he still remains on the fringes of the Indian T20I side. He was a part of the Indian squad that beat South Africa 3-1 in the T20I series earlier this month. RCB needed a keeper-batter to replace Dinesh Karthik. The veteran cricketer announced his retirement from all forms after holding the finisher and keeper's spot in RCB for the last few seasons. The Vidarbha batter is an ideal replacement for Karthik. He can slot in at No.5 or below and play those useful cameos, while the likes of Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar can form the core of the batting unit.
