Punjab Kings buy back Arshdeep Singh for INR 18 crore using RTM card at IPL 2025 Auction

India pacer Arshdeep Singh was brought back by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) using the Right-to-Match (RTM) card for a massive price of INR 18 crore. While SunRisers Hyderabad finished bidding at INR 15.75 crore, the Punjab-based franchise used RTM, following which SRH raised the bidding amount to INR 18 crore, and the pacer's former side eventually sealed the deal.

Arshdeep Singh played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup winning campaign earlier this year, including the final. The Madhya Pradesh-born bowler registered figures of 2/20 in his four-over spell as India clinched a historic win.

Arshdeep was PBKS’ first buy at the IPL 2025 Auction, and also the first name from Set 1 of Marquee players that came up. While multiple teams entered the bidding war, it was Punjab with the biggest purse at the auction this year, who roped him in.

Punjab Kings retained only two players ahead of the auction

Punjab Kings (PBKS) retained only two players - Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh - before the 2025 IPL mega-auction. The two uncapped players were phenomenal for PBKS in the 2024 edition, but the team needed to build from scratch.

Going into the auction with the biggest purse of over INR 100 crore, Punjab had the advantage to get big players into their side, and they did just that. After getting Arshdeep Singh at a whopping INR 18 crore, they kept bidding for Shreyas Iyer until they won it and roped the Indian batter into the side.

With that, Iyer is likely to be named PBKS' new captain with the exit of their previous skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Having retained only two players, PBKS had 4 RTM cards at the auction, of which they used one for Arshdeep Singh. They still have three left and might use them wisely to get some top players back to the side.

Punjab Kings are yet to win an IPL title.

​