"Where we going in the auction?" - Nathan Lyon's IPL query to Rishabh Pant caught on stump mic during 1st BGT 2024-25 Test
Veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon made a cheeky remark to Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant regarding the upcoming 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction on Day 1 of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Perth. The franchises are scheduled to convene on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah for the auction.
Pant finds himself back in the auction pool for the first time since his U-19 days after the Delhi Capitals (DC) released him after the 2024 campaign. The explosive batter is touted to fetch a hefty price tag, with multiple franchises expected to be in the bidding race to maximize the rare chance. He is among the players in the marquee set at a base price of ₹2 crore.
Lyon, on the other hand, was among the surprise candidates to put his name in the auction pool. The off-spinner, however, was not shortlisted in the final list of 574 players that will be available for franchises across the two days.
Nathan Lyon enquired while walking to his fielding position:
"Where we going in the auction?"
Pant replied with a smile:
"No idea"
Have a look at the interaction right here:
The pair have shared memorable battles on the field over the years. The left-handed batter's aggressive style of batting is the perfect blend against the match-up by Nathan Lyon, who has big boundaries to work with.
Rishabh Pant is Team India's leading run-scorer in the first innings so far
Rishabh Pant had to walk into bat as early as the 17th over following the top-order collapse induced by the Australian pacers. He has held one end while watching the likes of Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul, and Washington Sundar depart.
The player battle between Pant and Nathan Lyon has been on show in the early stages of the Perth Test. The southpaw has hit one boundary against the spinner and is currently batting on 30 off 63 deliveries.
The veteran spinner has had a rough start to his spell in the first Test after conceding 23 runs off his first five overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy took him on for a series of reverse sweeps to push India to the three-figure mark.