Indian Premier League is one of the most popular cricket leagues in the world, and it attracts millions of players worldwide to expose their talents and capture the screens with their groundbreaking performances.
The business model of the IPL comprises high stakes and profitable contracts attracting players worldwide. In the 2024 IPL auction held, the highest bid was made for the Australian player Mitchell Starc for some 24.75 crores by the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Similarly, other players are also on the list known for their expensive deals. In this blog, let's delve into the most expensive players in IPL cricket history. Read the blog till the end to learn more.
Who Is the Most Expensive Player in IPL History?
In 2025, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer broke the record of Mitchell Starc, the most expensive player in 2024, for Rs. 27 crores by the Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings for 26.75 crores, which was higher than the previous records.
However, before Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins was topping the list. Even Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings were interested in him, but they dropped the plan after the bidding war started; even RCB was after him, but in the end, Hyderabad flew him away with them, and they got a super-fast bowler for their team. Even before him, Sam Curran, an England all-rounder, was topping the list of the most expensive players for 18.5 crores by the Punjab Kings. Before that, an attempt was made for the New Zealand player Daryl Mitchell by the Chennai Super Kings for Rs.14 crores, which was ten times his base price.
List of Most Expensive Players in IPL History
Here is the list of the ten most expensive players in IPL history for all the IPL seasons from 2008-2024.
2008: MS Dhoni
In 2008, MS Dhoni overtook the record and was declared the season's most expensive player. He was bid for around 9.5 crores, which the Chennai Super Kings made. It was marked as the beginning of Dhoni's iconic journey with the franchise, shaping the team's legacy in the tournament.
2009: Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff
In 2008, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were regarded as the most expensive players in the entire IPL season, and the bid was made for 9.8 crore. It was said that there was a bidding war in the 2009 IPL auction for this player, which finally ended with the RCB bidding for Kevin Pietersen and CSK for Andrew Flintoff.
2010: Shane Bond and Kieron Pollard
In the year 2010, the New Zealand pacer Shane Bond joined the Kolkata Knight Riders for 4.80 crores; meanwhile, West Indies player Kieron Pollard was also bid for the same amount by the Mumbai Indians, yet he joined him after bargaining for a long time as he has helped the Mumbai Indians to win five IPL matches.
2011: Gautam Gambhir
In 2011, Gautam Gambhir emerged as the most expensive player in IPL, with the highest bid of 14.9 crores from the Kolkata Knight Riders. Later, this investment by the KKR proved fruitful as he led the Kolkata Knight Riders to win many titles and was also one of the most successful captains in history.
2012: Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja took away the 2012 title for the most expensive player in IPL. Chennai Super Kings made the bid for 12.8 crores. However, his performance proved worthy of the investment made for him.
2013: Glenn Maxwell
Glen Maxwell was the other most expensive player of the season in the 2013 IPL for 5.3 crores; the Mumbai Indians bought him, though it was not more. However, he was given limited opportunities, which made him move further to other teams like Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings) and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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2014 and 2015: Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh, the King of Sixes, was the most sought-after player at the 2014 and 2015 auctions. The Royal Challengers Bangalore acquired him for 14 crores, the highest of that season. He also became the most expensive player of the 2015 auction and was acquired by the Delhi Daredevils for 16 crore rupees, but unfortunately, he could not surpass the form of RCB in 2015.
2016: Shane Watson
Shane Watson, an Australian all-rounder, was fetched by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for 9.5 crores. He made the team proud with his expert bowling and explosive batting.
2017 and 2018: Ben Stokes
The English all-rounder Ben Stokes won the most expensive player for the 2017 and 2018 titles. He was bought by the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 for 14.5 crores and by the Rajasthan Royals in 2018 at Rs. 12.5 crores.
2019: Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy
The 2019 title for the most expensive player in IPL was achieved by two well-known cricketers, Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy, who bid for a fair amount of 8.4 crores. The Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings made the bid.
2020: Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins was a legendary player who set the benchmark for the most expensive player in IPL history. However, the Kolkata Knight Riders made the bid to secure the player for a high amount of 15.5 crores.
2021: Chris Morris
After Pat Cummins, Chris Morris won and became the most expensive player in IPL history. The Rajasthan Royals secured him for the bid amount of 16.25 crores.
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2022: Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan is another of the most expensive players in history, and the Mumbai Indians acquired him for around 15.25 crores.
2023: Sam Curran
In 2023, Sam Curran surpassed all the records and won the title of the most expensive player in IPL history, who fetched a staggering bid of 18.5 crores from the Punjab Kings. His all-rounder capabilities made him a valuable asset to the teams and the franchise.
2024: Mitchell Starc
In 2024, Mitchell Starc left behind every player with a dazzling record of 24.75 crores. Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him with this hefty amount.
2024: Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer
In 2025, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer broke the record of Mitchell Starc, the most expensive player in 2024. He cracked the record for fetching 27 crore from the Lucknow Super Giants, becoming the highest-paid player ever.
Shreya Iyer was also not far away and joined Punjab Kings for a hefty amount of 26.75 crores, which was still higher than the previous records.
Frequently Asked Questions Most Expensive Player in IPL
How Does an IPL Franchise Earn Money?
There are many ways through which the IPL franchise earns money. However, media and broadcasting, ticket sales, sponsorships, prize money, revenue from the stadium, etc, are some of the most common ways the IPL franchises earn money.
Who is the Most Expensive Cricket Player in IPL History till 2025?
In 2025, Rishabh Pant broke the record of Mitchell Starc and became the most expensive player in IPL history. He cracked the record for fetching 27 crore from the Lucknow Super Giants, becoming the highest-paid player ever.
Shreya Iyer was also not far away and joined Punjab Kings for a hefty amount of 26.75 crores, which was still higher than the previous records.
Who is the Most Expensive Cricket Player in IPL History till 2024?
Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player and was bid for 24.75 crores by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, surpassing all the records for the most expensive players.
Which Is the Richest Team in the Indian Premier League?
As per the 2024 census, the Mumbai Indians are considered the most successful and richest teams in the Indian Premier League.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India. History and record are just taking a new turn, and popularity is increasing every day. Here, the most expensive players in IPL, with their higher prices, add pleasure to the players and value to the franchises' eyes, making them the central figures in the world's most lucrative sporting events. And as the IPL evolves, more expensive players emerge to captivate fans with their extraordinary performances.
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