The Indian Premier League (IPL) has earned its reputation as the cash-rich league, witnessing extravagant spending on players, both seasoned stars and promising talents, through auctions, retentions, and drafts. Team owners and officials engage in intense bidding wars to secure players. Over the years, the league has seen several records shattered, with players fetching staggering amounts in auctions.
During the IPL 2024 auction, the record for the most expensive player changed hands twice in a matter of hours. Initially, Pat Cummins became the highest-paid player in IPL history, with Sunrisers Hyderabad securing his services for a whopping INR 20.50 Crore, beating out Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, this record was short-lived, as Mitchell Starc, another Australian pacer, surpassed it when Kolkata Knight Riders splurged a staggering INR 24.75 Crore to acquire him, fending off a fierce bidding war with GT.
The trend of players commanding astronomical prices has evolved over the years since the inaugural IPL auction in 2008. Franchises are now willing to break the bank to assemble title-winning teams, resulting in players like Ben Stokes and Cummins fetching exorbitant sums in different auctions. Here’s a look at the 15 players who stand as the most expensive buys ever in the history of IPL auctions.
15 Most Expensive Buys Ever in IPL Auction History
| Player | Team | Price (in ₹ crore) | Year |
| Mitchell Starc | Kolkata Knight Riders | 24.75 | 2024 |
| Pat Cummins | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 20.50 | 2024 |
| Sam Curran | Punjab Kings | 18.50 | 2023 |
| Cameron Green | Mumbai Indians | 17.50 | 2023 |
| Ben Stokes | Chennai Super Kings | 16.25 | 2023 |
| Chris Morris | Rajasthan Royals | 16.25 | 2021 |
| Nicolas Pooran | Lucknow Super Giants | 16.00 | 2023 |
| Yuvraj Singh | Delhi Daredevils | 16.00 | 2015 |
| Pat Cummins | Kolkata Knight Riders | 15.50 | 2020 |
| Ishan Kishan | Mumbai Indians | 15.25 | 2022 |
| Kyle Jamieson | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 15 | 2021 |
| Ben Stokes | Rising Pune Supergiant | 14.5 | 2017 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 14.25 | 2021 |
| Jhye Richardson | Punjab Kings | 14 | 2021 |
| Daryl Mitchell | Chennai Super Kings | 14 | 2024 |
Also Read: IPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bangalore Best Playing XI- Without Tom Curran & Lockie Ferguson
Most Expensive Buy at Each IPL Auction
2008: MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)
2009: Andrew Flintoff (Chennai Super Kings) & Kevin Pietersen (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
2010: Shane Bond (Kolkata Knight Riders) & Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians)
2011: Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders)
2012: Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings)
2013: Glenn Maxwell (Mumbai Indians)
2014: Yuvraj Singh (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
2015: Yuvraj Singh (Delhi Daredevils)
2016: Shane Watson (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
2017: Ben Stokes (Rising Pune Supergiant)
2018: Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals)
2019: Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals)
2020: Pat Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders)
2021: Chris Morris (Rajasthan Royals)
2022: Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians)
2023: Sam Curran (Punjab Kings)
2024: Mitchell Starc (Kolkata Knight Riders)
