IPL 2020: Five Most Expensive Players in the IPL Auctions

IPL auctions are touted as one of the most worthwhile avenues to make the most money for cricketers around the globe. The richest cricket league annually holds player auctions for eight franchises to assemble a team worthy of lifting the coveted IPL trophy. A huge amount of money is amassed by international cricketers as well as uncapped players. 

At the very first IPL auction in 2008, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the most expensive buy at USD 15 Lakhs. He was sold to the Chennai franchise and has been their skipper up till now.

Today IPL players are sold for as high as 15-17 crores.  Let’s take a look at the five most expensive IPL players in the history of IPL.

Yuvraj Singh – 16 Crores, Delhi Daredevils (2015) Most Expensive Player to be Auctioned Ever

Yuvraj is famous for hitting 6 sixes off Stuart Broad at the inaugural T20 world cup. Ever since he has been a hot commodity for every IPL team out there. It doesn’t come as a surprise that he is the most expensive player ever sold in IPL history. In his 12-yearlong IPL career he has played for 6 teams although he was never able to set the stage ablaze with his fiery shots. Even after giving mediocre performances nothing kept him away from getting elusive contracts. 

In 2015 Delhi nabbed him after winning a four-way bidding war with other teams. Bought at 16 crores his was the highest bid ever and remains so till today.  Unfortunately, even spending this much money didn’t do any good for them as Yuvraj managed to score on 248 runs in the entire season.

Pat Cummins – 15.5 Crores, Kolkata Knight Riders (2019)

The most recent player to make this list in Australian pacer, Pat Cummins. At the 2019 IPL auction, he was the most expensive player to go under the hammer. He is the number one ranked Test bowler and has played a big role in getting the Australian team back to safe waters. Cummins plays extremely well across all formats of cricket which makes him the most sought-after cricketer out there.

Although a big name in the cricketing world no one expected him to be the most expensive but at 15.5 crores. In a three-way bidding war with Delhi and Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders successfully bought him spending approximately 20% of their purse money.

His performance will be in the spotlight in the upcoming season of IPL.

Ben Stokes – 14.50 Crores, Rising Pune Supergiants (2017)

Currently, he is the biggest name in English cricket especially after leading his team to victory at the ICC world cup, a maiden win for England. Earlier in 2019 he also played a memorable inning in the Ashes test series which they went on to win. In his short career spanning a decade, it was undoubtedly a remarkable year for him. His biggest highlight of 2017 came when he bagged his maiden IPL contract for a whopping 14.50 Crores.

Initially shelling out such a big amount seemed like a hasty move by the Pune franchise as Stokes had never played in the IPL. He rightly proved his worth by scoring 300 runs at a strike rate of 145. He could not play the entire season but his efforts lead the team to the finals eventually justifying his price tag.

Yuvraj Singh – 14 Crores, Royal Challengers Bangalore (2014)

Yuvraj Singh was undoubtedly the most sought-after player at the IPL auctions. It is no surprise that he features twice on this list. Fondly remembered for his performances in the 2007 and 2011 ICC world cup games is the reason why teams wanted him on their side. 

In 2014 he was on the wish list of many teams but eventually, Royal Challengers Bangalore managed to acquire him for a price of 14 Crores. His inclusion in the team led to an elite batting line up for the Bangalore team. Unfortunately, his addition to the team did not help the Bangalore ta win the IPL trophy.

Ben Stokes – 12.5 Crores, Rajasthan Royals (2018)

An allrounder with a multi-dimensional skillset Ben Stokes is the perfect candidate for the T20 format. As an extremely famous cricketer, it is difficult to not shine the spotlight on him. After his debut in 2017 teams wanted to make him a part of their side and were ready to break their bank for it. Rajasthan Royals known for their bargain purchases shelled out 12.5 Crores to acquire the talents of Stokes.  Unfortunately, though this season of IPL was not as eventful for him as the previous one, as he ended up making just 196 runs from 13 games.