Most Expensive IPL Players of All Time Record Auction Buys in IPL History

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not just about big hits. It is also about big money. Each year, the IPL auction can turn cricketers into overnight millionaires amid frenzied bidding wars. Back in 2008, MS Dhoni’s ₹6 crore deal (about $1.5 million) was considered astronomical.

Since then, the definition of “expensive” in the IPL has evolved dramatically. In recent years, bids have soared past ₹20 crore, even crossing ₹25 crore for top players. In this article, we look at the most expensive IPL players of all time – the record-breaking fees they fetched, the teams that splurged on them and whether they lived up to those hefty price tags. We’ll also recount some entertaining auction stories (from surprise big-money picks to intense bidding wars) and highlight which big signings flopped and which turned into bargains.

Evolution of IPL Auction Records

The record for the highest-priced player has been repeatedly broken as the league’s popularity (and team budgets) grew. In the inaugural 2008 auction, Mahendra Singh Dhoni set the early benchmark at approximately ₹6 crore (Chennai Super Kings).

By 2011, Gautam Gambhir fetched ₹11.04 crore (Kolkata Knight Riders), nearly doubling the previous high. Indian stars kept raising the bar: Yuvraj Singh went for ₹14 crore in 2014 (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and then a record ₹16 crore in 2015 (Delhi Daredevils), becoming the first to cross the ₹15 crore mark.

Overseas players then had their turn at the top: England all-rounder Ben Stokes commanded ₹14.5 crore in 2017 (Rising Pune Supergiant) and Australian pacer Pat Cummins got ₹15.5 crore in 2020 (bought by KKR). In 2021, South Africa’s Chris Morris was bought for ₹16.25 crore (Rajasthan Royals), narrowly topping Yuvraj’s old record and marking the first time an overseas player held the overall price record. The IPL 2023 mini-auction saw Sam Curran hit ₹18.5 crore (Punjab Kings) – at that moment the highest bid ever.

Finally, the 2025 mega-auction blew past all previous records. Rishabh Pant was signed for an unprecedented ₹27 crore by Lucknow Super Giants. Minutes later in the same auction, Shreyas Iyer fetched ₹26.75 crore with Punjab Kings. By the end of that 2025 auction, the list of top five most expensive buys in IPL history had been completely rewritten. What once seemed an astronomical price in 2008 had grown almost fivefold by 2025.

Top 5 Most Expensive IPL Players in History

Below are the five costliest players ever sold at IPL auctions and how they fared after commanding these record prices:

Rishabh Pant – ₹27.0 Crore (Lucknow, 2025)

This explosive wicketkeeper-batsman became the most expensive IPL player ever when Lucknow Super Giants bought him for a staggering ₹27 crore in the 2025 auction. Multiple teams bid past ₹20 crore for Pant. In the end, Lucknow won the bidding war.

Pant returned from injury that season and delivered as both captain and finisher. He hit several match-winning knocks (including a blazing century at home) and provided leadership on the field. Lucknow didn’t win the title in 2025. Even so, Pant’s presence made them strong contenders and largely justified the price.

Shreyas Iyer – ₹26.75 Crore (Punjab, 2025)

Punjab Kings entered the 2025 auction with a huge purse and spent almost all of it on Shreyas Iyer at ₹26.75 crore. Iyer briefly became the costliest player ever until Pant’s deal moments later. A proven batsman and IPL-winning captain, Iyer was seen as an ideal leader to build Punjab’s team around.

In 2025, Iyer took over as Punjab’s captain and led them to a much-improved campaign. He scored over 400 runs and guided the Kings to the IPL final (they finished runners-up). His calm leadership and reliable middle-order batting showed that a record price tag can sometimes be worth it. Punjab nearly got a trophy out of their big investment.

Venkatesh Iyer – ₹23.75 Crore (Kolkata, 2025)

Kolkata Knight Riders paid ₹23.75 crore to buy back Venkatesh Iyer in 2025 after briefly releasing him for the auction. This ended up as the third-highest price ever. He was instrumental in KKR’s 2024 championship run and the franchise was determined to keep him, even at an eye-watering price.

With such a big price tag, expectations were high. Venkatesh had an up-and-down 2025 season. He produced a couple of match-winning innings (including a blazing 90*) and contributed with the ball. However, he also had several quiet matches. KKR did not repeat as champions and exited in the playoffs. The huge auction sum drew some criticism on social media. KKR’s management defended the decision, citing Venkatesh’s importance to their plans.

Sam Curran – ₹18.5 Crore (Punjab, 2023)

England’s Sam Curran was briefly the most expensive player in IPL history after the 2023 auction, where Punjab Kings paid ₹18.5 crore for him. Curran was just 24 and had been Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup, so his stock was sky-high.

In the 2023 season, Curran had a solid but not spectacular showing. Used primarily as a bowling all-rounder, he picked up wickets regularly and scored some handy lower-order runs. He even captained Punjab in a few matches when their regular skipper was injured. However, Punjab as a team underperformed and missed the playoffs. Curran alone couldn’t change their fortunes. His big signing underscored how valuable pace-bowling all-rounders have become in the IPL.

Yuzvendra Chahal – ₹18.0 Crore & Arshdeep Singh – ₹18.0 Crore (both Punjab, 2025)

Two players are tied for the fifth spot at ₹18.0 crore and both were acquired by Punjab Kings in the 2025 auction. Yuzvendra Chahal, India’s ace leg-spinner, became the most expensive bowler in IPL auction history at this price. Arshdeep Singh, a talented young left-arm pacer, had been released by Punjab pre-auction only for the team to buy him back for ₹18 crore.

Chahal proved his worth by finishing among the top wicket-takers in IPL 2025, showing that investing big in spin can pay off. Arshdeep had a mixed season. He bowled some excellent spells but was also expensive in the death overs. Overall, he did not lead as much as expected. Punjab’s willingness to spend ₹18 crore each on a veteran spinner and a young domestic pacer highlighted the premium on Indian bowling talent in the auction.

Biggest Auction Flops

Not every big-ticket IPL signing lives up to the hype. Some of the most expensive buys offered little return on investment. Notable examples include:

Yuvraj Singh (Delhi, 2015 – ₹16 Cr):
Delhi Daredevils made Yuvraj the costliest player of 2015, but he scored only 248 runs that season and was released after one year. The team’s CEO admitted they had to let him go to “rationalise our budget” after the poor returns.
Ben Stokes (Chennai, 2023 – ₹16.25 Cr):
CSK paid over ₹16 crore for Stokes in 2023, hoping for game-changing all-round performances. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to just two matches. He had minimal impact. (Ironically, CSK still won the title without him, highlighting the risk of such an expensive gamble.)
Glenn Maxwell (Punjab, 2020 – ₹10.75 Cr):
Maxwell, known for explosive batting, had a nightmare season in 2020 after Punjab bought him for over ₹10 crore. He managed just 108 runs in 13 matches with zero sixes, making this signing look like a huge waste.
Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan, 2018 – ₹11.5 Cr)
and
Varun Chakravarthy (Punjab, 2019 – ₹8.4 Cr):
Two cautionary tales of pricey uncapped players. Rajasthan picked up Unadkat for ₹11.5 crore after a strong season. He delivered only middling results and was released the next year. Mystery spinner Varun was a surprise ₹8.4 crore buy for Punjab - he played just one match before getting injured, essentially earning ₹8+ crore for a single appearance.

These cases show that a big auction price tag guarantees nothing. Sometimes the weight of the price affects a player’s performance and other times it’s just bad luck or a poor team fit. Franchises have learned that splurging on a superstar name is always a gamble. Even proven stars can misfire, so smart scouting and team balance remain crucial.

Big-Money Signings Who Paid Off

On the flip side, several expensive signings have proven worth every rupee – delivering championships or MVP performances that justified their fees:

Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata, 2011 – ₹11.04 Cr):
Many were stunned when Gambhir became the highest-paid player in 2011, but he turned out to be a fantastic investment. As captain, he transformed KKR and led them to two IPL titles (2012 and 2014). He also consistently scored runs at the top of the order. Gambhir’s signing is often cited as one of KKR’s best moves. His leadership changed the franchise’s fortunes.
MS Dhoni (Chennai, 2008 – ₹6 Cr):
Chennai Super Kings picking Dhoni for ₹6 crore in the first IPL auction now looks like the bargain of the century. That fee got CSK a legendary captain and match-winner for over a decade. Dhoni led Chennai to five IPL championships and reached nine finals, becoming the face of the franchise. In hindsight, CSK’s ₹6 crore investment in 2008 built a dynasty and remains arguably the greatest value deal in IPL history.
Ben Stokes (Pune, 2017 – ₹14.5 Cr):
In 2017, the new Rising Pune Supergiant franchise paid big money for Stokes and was richly rewarded. He scored over 300 runs, took 12 wickets and hit a match-winning century that season. Stokes won the IPL 2017 MVP award and helped Pune reach the final. This proved that a costly overseas player can deliver a season-changing impact if he finds form.
Rohit Sharma (Mumbai, 2011 – ₹9.2 Cr):
Mumbai Indians invested ₹9.2 crore in a young Rohit and it has yielded massive returns. Two years later he became captain and he has since led MI to five IPL titles (the most by any team). As a batsman, Rohit has also been among the league’s all-time leading run scorers. His signing (and the decision to retain him long-term) became the foundation of the Mumbai Indians dynasty.

These examples show that while big money adds pressure, the right player can live up to the price. Franchise fans often point to these buys as proof that spending big on a proven leader or match-winner can pay off. For example, Gambhir lifting trophies for KKR or Dhoni’s many triumphs for CSK are seen as vindication of those expensive investments.

Auction Dynamics and Bidding Drama

Part of what makes IPL auctions so dramatic are the intense bidding wars and surprise picks that unfold. A few interesting dynamics over the years include:

Fierce Bidding Wars

Superstar players often spark bidding contests that send prices skyrocketing. For example, Sam Curran’s auction in 2023 saw six teams in the fray, with his price climbing from a ₹2 crore base to ₹18.5 crore. In 2025, bidding for Rishabh Pant crossed ₹20 crore as multiple franchises battled for him. Lucknow finally sealed the deal at ₹27 crore. These wars can escalate quickly and turn into showdowns of owners’ determination, providing high entertainment for fans.

Surprise Big-Money Picks

Occasionally, relatively unknown or uncapped players fetch jaw-dropping sums due to hype or potential. In 2019, little-known spinner Varun Chakravarthy had a base price of just ₹20 lakh but was sold for ₹8.4 crore after teams were impressed by his “mystery” spin. Similarly, uncapped all-rounder Pawan Negi went for ₹8.5 crore in 2016. Such bids left everyone stunned. Not all those gambles paid off. Varun barely played that year and Negi had minimal impact. Still, these stories add to the auction’s unpredictability.

Marquee Indians vs. Overseas Stars

Top Indian players almost always command higher bids than even the biggest overseas names. Teams have limited Indian player slots but need strong local talent for their core, so demand is intense. This is evident from the auction records – seven of the top ten most expensive IPL players are Indians.

The truly mega contracts in the ₹18 to 27 crore range have all gone to Indian stars (Pant, Iyer and company). Overseas record-setters like Curran, Stokes or Morris have hit the ₹16 to 18 crore level, which is huge but still a bit lower. Franchises often reserve a large part of their budget to secure a marquee Indian batsman, bowler or captain who can be the face of the team.

Retention and RTM Strategies

Teams also use retention mechanisms to keep their best players, which influences auction dynamics. The Right-to-Match (RTM) card, for instance, allows a team to match the highest bid for their player and retain him. In 2025, Delhi Capitals tried to use an RTM card to retain Pant when the bidding skyrocketed, but they had to give up when Lucknow’s final bid hit ₹27 crore. In 2022, for example, Lucknow signed KL Rahul for ₹17 crore and Gujarat signed Hardik for ₹15 crore, showing that franchises will spend big even outside the auction to secure star players.

All these factors make the IPL auction a spectacle of its own. Team owners come in with plans and budgets, yet in the heat of the moment, rivalries and gut feeling often take over. This competitive spirit has only intensified over the years. Fortunes and futures can change in a matter of minutes once the bidding starts.

Top 10 Most Expensive IPL Buys (All-Time)

The table below lists the top ten highest auction prices in IPL history, along with the year and the team that bought each player:

Rank	Player	Price (₹ Cr)	Auction Year	Team
1	Rishabh Pant	27.00	2025	Lucknow Super Giants
2	Shreyas Iyer	26.75	2025	Punjab Kings
3	Venkatesh Iyer	23.75	2025	Kolkata Knight Riders
4	Sam Curran	18.50	2023	Punjab Kings
5	Yuzvendra Chahal	18.00	2025	Punjab Kings
5 (tie)	Arshdeep Singh	18.00	2025	Punjab Kings
7	Cameron Green	17.50	2023	Mumbai Indians
8	Ben Stokes	16.25	2023	Chennai Super Kings
8 (tie)	Chris Morris	16.25	2021	Rajasthan Royals
10	Yuvraj Singh	16.00	2015	Delhi Daredevils

So,

Indian players are the most of the leaders in this list (seven out of ten). Punjab Kings appear four times, reflecting their aggressive bidding in recent auctions (especially 2025). The 2025 mega-auction alone produced the top two records and three of the top five, dramatically raising the bar. Perhaps in the future we will even see a ₹30+ crore player if a truly generational talent enters the auction pool.

Top 10 Most Expensive IPL Buys (All-Time)

The list of the most expensive IPL players will no doubt continue to evolve as the league grows richer and more competitive. But whether these big buys turn into championship-winning superstars or expensive misfires, the high-stakes drama of the IPL auction is here to stay. Each year, fortunes can change with the raise of a paddle, adding new chapters to the IPL’s lore of splurges, surprises, flops and successes.