Prashant Veer made heads turn at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday as the Uttar Pradesh cricketer bagged a staggering pay cheque of ₹14.20 crore from five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
Starting at his base price of ₹30 lakh, the 20-year-old all-rounder immediately started a bidding war between CSK and Sunrisers Hyderabad as both the former champions refused to bring their paddle down. With Sunrisers Hyderabad opting out, Veer has found a new home at CSK.
Veer came into the limelight for the first time while representing Noida Super Kings in the UP T20 League. A left-arm spin bowling all-rounder, Veer impressed with his performance in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, earning CSK selectors' attention, who called him for trials.
The past few weeks have been very tight for Veer as he travelled between Mumbai and Kolkata, playing six matches in seven days in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Uttar Pradesh's Under-23 matches. In nine T20s so far, Veer scored 112 runs at a strike rate of 170 alongside 12 wickets. CSK are looking at Veer as Ravindra Jadeja's long-term successor.
Is Prashant Veer the most expensive uncapped player?
As soon as Veer's name was displayed, Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians immediately raised the paddle. However, Mumbai Indians dropped soon after, with Rajasthan Royals entering the battle midway. Sunrisers Hyderabad also joined. In the end, it was SRH vs CSK with Ruturaj Gaikwad's side winning the services of Veer at ₹14.20 crore.
In the process, Veer became the most expensive uncapped player, eclipsing Avesh Khan's previous record of ₹10 crore, which was set during the IPL 2022 mega auction. Moments later, Kartik Sharma joined Veer as the joint-most expensive uncapped buy at the same price.
List of the most expensive uncapped players in IPL
Prashant Veer (India) - ₹14.20 crore (2026) - To Chennai Super Kings
Kartik Sharma (India) - ₹14.20 crore (2026) - To Chennai Super Kings
Avesh Khan (India) - ₹10 crore (2022)
Krishnappa Gowtham (India) - ₹9.25 crore (2021)
Auqib Nabi (India) - ₹8.40 crore (2026) - To Delhi Capitals
Riley Meredith (Australia) - ₹8 crore (2021)
