IPL’s Costliest Cricketers: A Look at the Most Expensive Auction Picks of All Time

The IPL auction has been a place where the bids are going up every year since it first started in 2008, and the big one, Rishabh Pant’s sale to the Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crores in 2025, is now the record of all time, which is already more than Mitchell Starc’s record of  ₹24.75 crores.

Record Evolution

MS Dhoni has set the bar. When his franchise CSK opened the bidding process for Dhoni at 9.5 Crores in 2008, while leading the Indian T20 World Cup team to the title. Bids have gradually increased each year from 2011 through to 2021. Gautam Gambhir was the highest-priced player from 2011 (₹14.9 Crores KKR) until Yuvraj Singh was signed by DD for ₹16 Crores in 2015, followed by Chris Morris being acquired by RR for ₹16.25 Crores in 2021. While Pat Cummins and Starc both secured their 2024 IPL contracts with SRH and KKR, respectively, for an all-time high of ₹20.5 Crores and upwards, respectively, Rishabh Pant produced his high point at ₹120 Crores during the explosive sale of 2025. 

Top 10 All-Time Buys

IPL 2026 Outlook

As the IPL 2026 auction approaches next month in Abu Dhabi, aspiring players Cameron Green and Venkatesh Iyer, with base salaries of ₹2 Crores, are targeting record values as this year’s franchises have spent extensively on their ₹120 Crore caps.

Disclaimer: Information is based on available reports; figures and auction results may change. Readers are advised to verify details before concluding.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE | Is IPL Better Than PSL? Mohammad Nabi Spills The Beans On How IPL Goes Beyond Money, Offers Great Exposure: ‘Standard Of competition Is…’