The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most entertaining and watched T20 tournament in the world. Not only has this tournament changed the landscape of Indian cricket, but it has also ensured that cricketers worldwide get handsomely rewarded. The IPL auction is held yearly so all franchises can pick players to strengthen their squads. The franchises go after the players they want; in the process, they can make the players rich and overnight sensations.
Most Expensive Players in IPL Auction
The Indian dominance was at the forefront of the 2025 IPL auction, with Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Venkatesh Iyer getting all the moolah. While Lucknow Super Giants snapped up Rishabh Pant for a whopping ₹27 crores, Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer were bought by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crores and Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹23.75 crores, respectively.
The following is a list of five of the most expensive players in IPL auction:
Rishabh Pant - ₹27 crores (Lucknow Super Giants)
Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL auction history after Lucknow Super Giants bought him for ₹27 crores. After Delhi Capitals released Rishabh Pant ahead of the 2025 IPL auction, he was expected to make huge money in the auction.
Lucknow Super Giants began with an opening bid of ₹2 crores. Royal Challengers Bangalore showed interest for a while before pulling out of the bid. Sunrisers Hyderabad was another team to show interest in the dynamic Rishabh Pant but pulled out once the bid reached ₹20.75 crores.
Delhi Capitals executed their RTM, after which Lucknow Super Giants set the price at ₹27 crores. Delhi Capitals did not buy Rishabh Pant for this price, meaning that he went to Lucknow Super Giants.
Shreyas Iyer - ₹26.75 crores (Punjab Kings)
Shreyas Iyer came into the IPL 2025 auction with huge expectations, as he led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in the 2024 season. Being a dynamic batter and a brilliant leader, many franchises had their eyes on Shreyas Iyer.
Punjab Kings, who had the biggest purse in the 2025 IPL auction, went after Shreyas Iyer aggressively and secured him for ₹26.75 crores. He is most likely to lead the Punjab Kings in the upcoming IPL season under the guidance of new head coach Ricky Ponting.
Venkatesh Iyer - ₹23.75 crores (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Venkatesh Iyer is a talented all-rounder and has played some crucial knocks in the playoffs in the previous editions for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). KKR has not retained him before the auction but went after him in the auction.
The aggressive bidding by KKR ultimately led to them securing Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crores. If KKR are to secure back-to-back IPL titles, the onus will be on their talented all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer.
Mitchell Starc - ₹24.75 crores (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Starc quickly became the man of the moment when his name was announced in the auction. First, there was a sigh from the crowd, and soon after, teams went after him, and his base price multiplied with every minute. Delhi Capitals had called for him at his base price of ₹2 crores, but then Mumbai Indians got into a two-way battle for the Aussie pacer.
The eventual winner, Kolkata Knight Riders, entered the scene with the auctioneer quoting Starc for ₹9.80 crores. There was no looking back after this, as MI and DC both dropped out, with the Gujarat Titans and KKR going all in. The battle ended when the Kolkata outfit purchased him for ₹24.75 crores – a record in IPL history.
Pat Cummins - ₹20.50 crores (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Being the captain of the victorious Australian team that beat India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Pat Cummins was the man to watch out for the franchises. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians were fighting for him initially. But his base prize multiplied from ₹2 crores to ₹5 crores. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stepped up, and eventually, Sunrisers Hyderabad also came into the picture, with Cummins’ price now being ₹8 crores.
From here on, it was a fight to the finish, with Sunrisers Hyderabad coming up with a countermove for every move that the Bengaluru outfit made. Eventually, RCB dropped out, and Cummins went to the Sunrisers for ₹20.50 crores, the highest ever for any player in IPL history until Starc overtook it within less than an hour.
Here’s a list of the top 3 expensive Indian and uncapped players in IPL auction history:
Most Expensive Indian Players in IPL Auction (Top 3)
Most Expensive Uncapped Players in IPL Auction (Top 3)
Concluding Thoughts
When it comes to the most expensive players in IPL auction, Rishabh Pant tops the list with ₹27 crores. IPL franchises want the best team and will go after players who balance the squad and take the team over the line.
FAQs about Most Expensive Players in IPL Auction
Who are the top five most expensive players in IPL auction history?
Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins are the top five most expensive players in IPL auction history.
Who is the most expensive Indian player in the IPL auction history?
Rishabh Pant is the most expensive Indian player in the IPL auction history. He was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crores.
Who is the highest paid uncapped player in IPL auction history?
Avesh Khan is the highest paid uncapped player in IPL auction history. Lucknow Super Giants acquired the fast bowler for ₹10 crores in 2022 auction.
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