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Indian Premier League Most Expensive Players List

The first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) took place in 2008. Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings in the tournament’s inaugural edition to become the first-ever IPL winners. The maximum salary cap in the first season was around ₹20 Crore. This is less than what some players were sold for at the 2024 IPL auction. The purse per team has now been increased to ₹100 Crore as of 2024. This list discusses some of the most expensive Indian Premier League players in the tournament’s history.

Who Are The Most Expensive Players In IPL History?

10. Chris Morris (Rajasthan Royals – ₹16.25 Crore)

THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLAYER IN #IPL HISTORY IS NOW A ROYAL!!!

WELCOME, CHRIS MORRIS! 🥳#HallaBol | #IPLAuction | #IPL2021 | @Tipo_Morris

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 18, 2021

Chris Morris broke the record for the most expensive IPL player when he was sold for ₹16.25 Cr in 2021. While Morris set a base price of just ₹75 Lakh for himself, he ended up going for ₹16.25 Cr. The bidding for Morris was started by Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The two went to and fro all the way till ₹10 Crore. This is when RCB decided to back out and was replaced by Rajasthan Royals. Mumbai pushed all the way ₹13 Crore before backing out. Punjab Kings then entered the race to try to steal Morris at the last moment, but Rajasthan Royals did not give in. They were determined to secure Chris Morris for the 2021 season and ended up buying him for ₹16.25 Crore, setting an IPL record.

10. Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings – ₹16.25 Crore)

Credit: Sky Sports

Five different teams bid for Ben Stokes in the 2023 IPL auction before he eventually went to Chennai Super Kings for ₹16.25 Crore. The original bids came from Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB backed out first and was replaced by Lucknow Super Giants. RR made just one bid after LSG joined in and then backed out themselves. It was Sunrisers Hyderabad that decided to enter the bidding this time. SRH and LSG went head-to-head before RR backed out after Lucknow made a bid of ₹15 Crore. Chennai Super Kings joined the fray right at the end and managed to outbid LSG, securing Ben Stokes for ₹16.25 Crore. This made him the costliest Chennai Super Kings player ever.

9. Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians – ₹17.50 Crore)

Moment when Mumbai Indians buy Camron Green for 17.50 Crores. pic.twitter.com/Xy8GUIvDDX

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) December 23, 2022

Cameron Green saw three different teams bid for him. The original two bids came from Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. After MI bid ₹7 Crore for Green, RCB decided they had seen enough and backed out. This is when Delhi Capitals joined in. Both teams seemed determined to secure the allegiance of the Australian all-rounder, but it was Mumbai Indians who eventually did so. After a long-fought battle, DC finally decided to back out once MI bid ₹17.50 Crore for the player.

7. Yuzvendra Chahal (Punjab Kings – ₹18 Crore)

Yuzvendra Chahal at 18 Crore😍 #IPLAuction #ipl2025auction pic.twitter.com/92uyIjwAP7

— Parwaiz alam (@ZiaWraP7) November 24, 2024

In the IPL 2025 mega auction, Yuzvendra Chahal was sold for a whopping ₹18 Crore to the Punjab Kings. The 2025 Auction saw five different teams try to secure the services of the talented Indian Spiner. Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Sunrisers Hyderabad all tried to get hold of Yuzvendra Chahal. However, it was Punjab Kings who ended up coming put on tip, winning with a bid of ₹18 Crore after knocking out all the competition.

7. Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings – ₹18 Crore)

Credit: Mint

Arshdeep Singh was bought by the Punjab Kings for ₹18 Crore in the 2025 IPL mega auction. Almost all the teams were involved in trying to secure his signature, with six different teams making a bid for him. Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad all made a bid for him, and while SRH was the last team standing, they were still unable to keep the player for themselves.

Punjab Kings decided to use the RTM (Right To Match) card on Arshdeep Singh. SRH knocked out the Rajasthan Royals with a bid of ₹15.75 Crore. Punjab Kings opted for their right to exercise the RTM card, and SRH improved their final bid to ₹18 Crore. However, Punjab Kings were determined to bring Arshdeep Singh home and agreed to pay ₹18 Crore to do so, making him one of the most expensive players in IPL history.

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ALSO READ: Top 10 Chris Gayle’s Highest Scores In IPL

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6. Sam Curran (Punjab Kings – ₹18.50 Crore)

Record Alert 🚨

Sam Curran 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙋𝙇!

He goes BIG 🤯- INR 18.50 Crore & will now play for Punjab Kings 👏 👏#TATAIPLAuction | @TataCompanies pic.twitter.com/VlKRCcwv05

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 23, 2022

Six teams bid for Sam Curran in the 2023 Indian Premier League auction. Mumbai Indians went up against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the start. After RCB backed out, Rajasthan Royals joined the fray, coming in at ₹7 Crore. After a good fight, Mumbai Indians decided to back out themselves after RR made a bid of ₹11.50 Crore. The bidding for Curran, however, was far from over. Chennai Super Kings decided to come in and made RR back out after making a bid of ₹13.25 Crore.

Once RR backed out, Punjab Kings became the fifth IPL team to join in. PBKS seemed very determined to get Curran and eventually made CSK back off. However, Lucknow Super Giants decided to come in at ₹15.75 Crore. They made a couple of bids but backed out once PBKS bid ₹16.50 Cr, making Curran the most expensive player in the tournament’s history. However, what came as a shock to everyone was Mumbai Indians re-entering the bidding process. MI continued the bidding war before eventually backing out when PBKS bid ₹18.50 Crore. Sam Curran was sold for ₹18.50 Crore to PBKS, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.

5. Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad – ₹20.50 Crore)

Pat Cummins broke Curran’s record and became the most expensive player in the Indian Premier League, albeit for a very short period. Cummins sold for a whopping ₹20.50 Crore in the 2024 IPL auction. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings started the bidding for Cummins. MI backed out first, making way for Royal Challengers Bangalore to enter.

Once the bidding escalated beyond ₹7.60 Crore, CSK decided to take their leave and were replaced by Sunrisers Hyderabad. RCB and SRH went head-to-head to try to sign Cummins. RCB were ready to break the bank for Cummins and bid ₹20.25 Crore for him, but it was still not enough. SRH bid ₹20.50 Crore, and RCB decided to back out, letting Cummins go to SRH.

4. Venkatesh Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders – ₹23.75 Crore)

Most 50+ in IPL Playoffs by an active Cricketer!!🔥#OnThisDay in 2021 KKR bought Venkatesh Iyer for 20 lakhs and now will play for 23.75 crore and will lead KKR 🦁

UNREAL GROWTH🙌 pic.twitter.com/3bAJhihvxj

— कट्टर INDIA समर्थक 🦁🇮🇳 ™ (@KKRWeRule) February 18, 2025

Venkatesh Iyer was arguably the biggest shock of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. While everyone knows his value as an Indian all-rounder, no one expected that he would go for a mammoth fee of around ₹23.75 Crore. Kolkata Knight Riders were always going to try to bring one of their stars back home, and they started bidding as soon as his name was picked out of the bag. It was the Lucknow Super Giants who decided to rival them at first.

KKR was able to knock LSG out with a bid of ₹7.75 Crore, but Royal Challengers Bangalore ended up joining the fray. This started an incredible bidding war between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders. Both the IPL franchises refused to back out, and the price kept increasing exponentially. In the end, Royal Challengers Bangalore decided to back out after Kolkata Knight Riders made a bid of ₹23.75 Crore. This makes Venkatesh one of the highest-paid players in Indian Premier League history.

3. Mitchell Starc (Kolkata Knight Riders – ₹24.75 Crore)

Strap your seatbelts Kolkata, #MitchellStarc is ready to don the Purple & Gold jersey!

Starc 🤝 Most Expensive Purchase ever at the IPL Auction at 24.75 CR! 🤯🤯💰💰

Tune-in to the #IPLAuctionOnStar, LIVE on Star Sports Network#IPL2024Auction pic.twitter.com/3DBXSzm7X5

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 19, 2023

Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history after beating Pat Cummins’ record ₹20.50 Crore bid in the very same auction. However, this record was broken in the 2025 auction, and he is now the third most expensive player. Mitchell Starc was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for a ridiculous amount of ₹24.75 Crore. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals started the bidding for Starc, but both teams knew they would not get the player.

Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans had considerably higher amounts left in their purse, which made it clear that either of those teams would eventually sign Starc. MI and DC bid up to ₹9.60 Crore before letting KKR and GT take over. Both teams went to and fro before KKR made GT back out. Gujarat Titans tried very hard to get Starc, but after KKR made a bid of ₹24.75 Crore, they decided to back out.

2. Shreyas Iyer (Punjab Kings – ₹26.75 Crore)

SHREYAS IYER SOLD TO PUNJAB FOR 26.75 CRORES…!!!!

– A HISTORIC MOMENT. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/j0jI61ulhG

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 24, 2024

Shreyas Iyer became the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history, albeit for a short period of time. His name came forth before Rishabh Pant’s, and he managed to break the previous record for the most expensive player set by Mitchell Starc. Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings started the bidding, but PBKS backed out after KKR bid ₹7.25 Crore. This is when the Delhi Capitals decided to join the fray. They were able to knock KKR out with a bid of ₹10 Crore, but the Punjab Kings decided to rejoin the bidding process.

This started a huge bidding war between the Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. They kept going to and fro, battling against each other, with neither team looking ready to back down. However, Punjab Kings ended up coming out on top with a bid of ₹26.75 Crore. This bid made Shreyas Iyer one of the most expensive players in Indian Premier League history.

1. Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants – ₹27 Crore)

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 🤯

Rishabh Pant broke the record as Lucknow Super Giants successfully bid ₹27 crore for the Indian player during the recently concluded #TATAIPLAuction 💪#TATAIPL | @RishabhPant17 | @LucknowIPL pic.twitter.com/IoOQWWxxdt

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 3, 2024

Rishabh Pant broke the record for the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history during the 2025 mega auction. Pant’s name was the most talked about ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, so it comes as no surprise that he ended up breaking the record and becoming the most expensive player of all time. Three teams bid for him: the Lucknow Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore started the bidding process, but LSG managed to knock RCB out with a bid of ₹11.25 Crore. SRH soon joined in, and the two teams went to and fro before LSG knocked SRH out with a bid of ₹20.75 Crore and won the bid. However, Delhi Capitals decided to exercise their RTM card. Lucknow Super Giants decided to increase the bid to ₹27 Crore, and Delhi Capitals decided that this was too much for them. This made Rishabh Pant the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history.

For more news and updates on the Indian Premier League (IPL), keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.

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