Top 10 Most Expensive Players in IPL Auction History

Detailed Player Profiles

10: Jos Buttler — ₹15.75 Crore, Gujarat Titans, IPL 2025

Jos Buttler’s ₹15.75 crore move to Gujarat Titans at the IPL 2025 mega auction made him the most expensive overseas purchase of that particular auction. His signing gave Gujarat an experienced wicketkeeper-batter capable of opening the innings, scoring rapidly in the powerplay and taking on a leadership role within the batting group.

The bid places Buttler at the tenth-highest distinct auction-price level in IPL history. His inclusion is important because his ₹15.75 crore purchase ranks above Ishan Kishan’s ₹15.25 crore bid from the IPL 2022 auction.

9: Chris Morris — ₹16.25 Crore, Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2021

Chris Morris’s ₹16.25 crore move to Rajasthan Royals at the IPL 2021 auction broke the all-time IPL auction record at the time. It surpassed the ₹16 crore Delhi Daredevils had paid for Yuvraj Singh in 2015.

The bid reflected Morris’s value as a fast-bowling all-rounder who could bowl in different phases and provide lower-order power. His record remained in place until Punjab Kings paid ₹18.50 crore for Sam Curran at the auction for IPL 2023.

8: Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal and Matheesha Pathirana — ₹18 Crore Each, Three-Way Tie

Three players share this bid position after being acquired for an identical ₹18 crore.Punjab Kings brought Arshdeep Singh back at the IPL 2025 mega auction by using their Right to Match option at ₹18 crore. The price reflected the value of an Indian left-arm pacer with experience bowling in the powerplay and at the death. The official auction record marks his purchase as an RTM acquisition.

Yuzvendra Chahal also joined Punjab Kings for ₹18 crore at the same auction. His price placed him alongside Arshdeep as PBKS’s joint-second-most expensive acquisition of that auction, behind only Shreyas Iyer. Chahal’s long record as an IPL wicket-taker and the scarcity of proven Indian leg-spinners contributed to the bidding competition.

Matheesha Pathirana completed the three-way tie when Kolkata Knight Riders paid ₹18 crore for him at the IPL 2026 auction. KKR secured him after a prolonged bidding battle with Lucknow Super Giants. His death-over role, yorkers and unusual release made him one of the auction’s most valuable specialist fast bowlers.

7: Sam Curran — ₹18.50 Crore, Punjab Kings, IPL 2023

Sam Curran’s ₹18.50 crore move to Punjab Kings at the IPL 2023 auction made him the most expensive player in IPL auction history at that time, overtaking Chris Morris’s ₹16.25 crore record.

Curran entered the auction as a high-value all-rounder capable of bowling with the new ball and at the death while also providing left-handed batting in the middle or lower order. His record stood until Pat Cummins and then Mitchell Starc attracted larger bids at the auction for IPL 2024.

6: Pat Cummins — ₹20.50 Crore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2024

Pat Cummins joined Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹20.50 crore at the IPL 2024 auction. His purchase briefly made him the most expensive player in IPL auction history, moving past Sam Curran’s ₹18.50 crore mark.

The record lasted only until Mitchell Starc was bought later in the same auction for ₹24.75 crore. Cummins’s bid reflected his value as an international fast bowler, lower-order hitter and proven captain rather than simply an overseas bowling option.

5: Venkatesh Iyer — ₹23.75 Crore, Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2025

Venkatesh Iyer’s ₹23.75 crore price at the IPL 2025 mega auction was one of the day’s biggest bidding surprises. Kolkata Knight Riders aggressively pursued a player who had already played an important role in their batting order.

His ability to bat at the top or in the middle order, offer left-handed power and provide an occasional seam-bowling option gave KKR tactical flexibility. The bid was the third-highest winning price at the 2025 mega auction, behind Pant and Shreyas Iyer.

KKR released Venkatesh before the IPL 2026 auction, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru acquired him for ₹7 crore. That later purchase does not remove his ₹23.75 crore KKR bid from the historical ranking.

4: Mitchell Starc — ₹24.75 Crore, Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2024

Mitchell Starc’s ₹24.75 crore winning bid from Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL 2024 auction set a new all-time auction record.

The price reflected his international pedigree as a left-arm fast bowler with new-ball, middle-over and death-over value, as well as extensive experience in major ICC tournaments. The record stood until the IPL 2025 mega auction, when Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant both attracted larger bids.

3: Cameron Green — ₹25.20 Crore, Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2026

Cameron Green’s ₹25.20 crore move to KKR made him the most expensive overseas player in IPL history and the third-highest winning bid overall. 

KKR secured Green after a bidding battle with Chennai Super Kings. His combination of top-order power, fielding and seam-bowling potential allowed KKR to target multiple squad requirements with one overseas slot.

Green’s ₹25.20 crore figure is the official winning bid charged against KKR’s auction purse. However, his personal auction fee is limited by the overseas-player maximum-fee rule explained later in this article.

2: Shreyas Iyer — ₹26.75 Crore, Punjab Kings, IPL 2025

Shreyas Iyer’s ₹26.75 crore bid from Punjab Kings at the IPL 2025 mega auction briefly made him the most expensive player in IPL auction history.

The price reflected his value as a top-order Indian batter and an established captain. Iyer had led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title before entering the 2025 auction. His record stood only until Rishabh Pant was sold later the same day for ₹27 crore.

1: Rishabh Pant — ₹27 Crore, Lucknow Super Giants, IPL 2025

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Rishabh Pant’s ₹27 crore winning bid from Lucknow Super Giants remains the highest in IPL auction history, which is why the debate around Rishabh Pant’s ₹27 crore IPL value became one of the biggest talking points after the auction.

The open bidding reached ₹20.75 crore after competition led by LSG and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Delhi Capitals then exercised their Right to Match option. Under the revised RTM procedure, LSG were allowed to place one final raised bid and increased the price to ₹27 crore. Delhi declined to match it, allowing LSG to complete the record purchase.

The price reflected Pant’s rare combination of aggressive batting, wicketkeeping, Indian-player status and leadership experience.Pant later returned to Delhi Capitals through a trade announced on June 23, 2026, at a revised fee of ₹15 crore. The trade changes his current franchise and fee but does not alter LSG’s ₹27 crore winning bid or his position at the top of this auction ranking.

Why Cameron Green’s ₹25.20 Crore Winning Bid Is Not the Same as His Auction Fee

Kolkata Knight Riders’ full winning bid of ₹25.20 crore was charged against the franchise’s auction purse. However, the IPL’s maximum-fee rule for overseas players at mini auctions limits the amount Green directly receives as his auction fee.

Under the rule, the maximum overseas-player fee is the lower of:

• The highest retention price, which was ₹18 crore for this cycle
• The highest winning bid at the preceding mega auction, which was Pant’s ₹27 crore

Because ₹18 crore is the lower amount, Green’s direct auction fee is capped at ₹18 crore. The ₹7.20 crore difference between his winning bid and the fee cap is deposited with the BCCI and designated for player welfare. The full ₹25.20 crore is still deducted from KKR’s purse.

This is why Green remains third in the ranking based on KKR’s winning bid even though his direct auction payment is lower than ₹25.20 crore. The cap applies to overseas players at the mini auction and does not reduce the winning bid recorded in the auction results.

It also does not necessarily represent Green’s complete season earnings because eligible playing members can receive the separate IPL match fee in addition to their contracted amount.

What the Biggest IPL Auction Bids Tell Us

A few clear patterns emerge from this ranking.Kolkata Knight Riders account for four of the 12 purchases represented across the ten bid positions: Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Venkatesh Iyer and Matheesha Pathirana. Punjab Kings also account for four through Shreyas Iyer, Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal.

All seven winning bids above ₹18 crore occurred between the auctions for IPL 2023 and IPL 2026:

• Sam Curran — ₹18.50 crore
• Pat Cummins — ₹20.50 crore
• Venkatesh Iyer — ₹23.75 crore
• Mitchell Starc — ₹24.75 crore
• Cameron Green — ₹25.20 crore
• Shreyas Iyer — ₹26.75 crore
• Rishabh Pant — ₹27 crore

That rise shows how quickly the top end of IPL bidding moved beyond the earlier records set by Chris Morris at ₹16.25 crore in 2021 and Ishan Kishan at ₹15.25 crore in 2022.Multi-skilled players, Indian captaincy candidates, wicketkeeper-batters and specialist fast bowlers appear repeatedly near the top. These roles tend to attract aggressive bidding because they either solve multiple squad requirements or fill scarce positions for which only a small number of proven players are available.