IPL Most Expensive Players: List of Top 10 Highest Paid Players

The IPL Auction is a game-changer for cricketers, transforming lives and careers with each bid. This annual event holds the power to reshape destinies, offering players the prospect of donning new team colours and reaching new heights in their cricketing journey and the auction is more than just a financial boost; it's a doorway to fresh opportunities and heightened visibility on the global stage. Every year, the players have a chance to shape their careers well and hence with the tagline "𝐘𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐡𝐚 𝐀𝐯𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐡𝐢", which shows “Where Talent meets Opportunity” shows how good the stage is and the IPL Auction, with its mix of strategy, excitement, and career-altering decisions, has become an integral part of cricketing lore, underscoring the league's significance as a breeding ground for talent and a cornerstone of global cricket entertainment.

List of top 10 expensive players in IPL

Coming to the list of the most expensive players in IPL, the teams have played a major role in picking up the most suitable options available to them. Over the 16 years, there have been numerous players that have got the highest bids and the top 10 players have been listed below in the list.

Player	Team	Auction Price	Year
Mitchell Starc	Kolkata Knight Riders	Rs 24.75 Crore	2024
Pat Cummins	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Rs 20.50 Crore	2024
Sam Curran	Punjab Kings	Rs 18.50 Crore	2023
Cameron Green	Mumbai Indians	Rs 17.50 Crore	2023
Ben Stokes	Chennai Super Kings	Rs 16.25 Crore	2023
Chris Morris	Rajasthan Royals	Rs 16.25 Crore	2021
Yuvraj Singh	Delhi Daredevils	Rs 16 Crore	2015
Nicholas Pooran	Lucknow Super Giants	Rs 16 Crore	2023
Pat Cummins	Kolkata Knight Riders	Rs 15.50 Crore	2020
Ishan Kishan	Mumbai Indians	Rs 15.25 Crore	2022

1. Mitchell Starc — KKR

In the 2024 IPL Auction, the Kolkata Knight Riders made a big move by bagging Mitchell Starc for a whopping Rs 24.75 Crore, marking one of the highest-priced deals in IPL history. Starc, known for his strong bowling and decent batting, is set to make a comeback to the league after 8 years. Mentored by Gautam Gambhir, KKR aims to make the most of Starc's versatile skills. With a notable record of 34 wickets in 27 matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Starc's return is anticipated to bolster KKR's bowling unit. His impressive average of 20.38 underscores his effectiveness in the IPL, making him a key addition to the team for the upcoming season.

2. Pat Cummins — SRH

Sunrisers Hyderabad secured Pat Cummins for a hefty Rs 20.50 Crores in the IPL auction, marking him as one of the highest-paid players. Cummins, gaining attention after clinching the ICC ODI World Cup and World Test Championship Finals in 2023, received strong interest from IPL teams. Now donning the orange jersey for IPL 2024, Cummins is set to lead the Sunrisers Hyderabad. With 42 IPL matches under his belt, Cummins has taken 45 wickets, maintaining an average of 30.16. His economy rate of 8.54 showcases his dual ability to snag wickets and control the run flow, making him a crucial asset for the team's bowling prowess in the upcoming season.

3. Sam Curran — PBKS

The Punjab Kings bagged Sam Curran as the highest-paid player in the 2023 IPL auction, recognizing his stellar performance in the 2022 T20 World Cup. He earned Player of the Tournament and Player of the Match in the final, pivotal to England's win against Australia. Despite missing the 2022 IPL mega auction due to a back injury, Curran, who debuted with the Punjab Kings in 2019, showcased his all-round prowess with the bat and ball. Before joining the Kings, he played for the Chennai Super Kings for two seasons. Across three IPL seasons, Curran has proven his worth, amassing 337 runs and claiming 32 wickets in 32 games, boasting a strike rate of 149.78 and an economy rate of 9.21.

4. Cameron Green — MI

The fourth star in the list is again an Australian who bagged a contract of Rs 17.50 Crore in the year 2023 from the Mumbai Indians team. Despite strong competition from Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, the Mumbai Indians, five-time IPL champions, successfully signed the talented all-rounder. Green, who made his T20I debut for Australia in April 2022, has quickly made a mark. In just eight matches, he's shown impressive performances with a stellar strike rate of 173.75. Notably, he scored two half-centuries against India, hitting 61 from 30 balls and 52 from 21 deliveries, underscoring his potential as a valuable addition to the Mumbai Indians squad.

5. Ben Stokes — CSK

The most costliest buy of the Chennai Super Kings team, Ben Stokes played for the Chennai Super Kings in the year 2023. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals began the bidding for Stokes at a base price of Rs 2 crore. Chennai Super Kings joined the fray at Rs 7 crore, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad. In a competitive auction, the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings clinched Stokes for a hefty Rs 16.25 crore, making him the third-highest-paid cricketer in IPL history. However, he played just 2 matches for the team in the year 2023 and scored 15 runs and was wicketless for the team right over there.

6. Chris Morris — RR

South African All-Rounder who had the knack of going big while batting and picking wickets in bowling, Chris Morris became the star in IPL Auction 2021 when Rajasthan Royals picked him for a whopping amount of Rs 16.25 Crore. Unfortunately, the gamble on Morris didn't yield significant returns, as he had an average campaign in 2021. Adding to the disappointment, Morris announced his retirement from all forms of professional cricket in January 2022, leaving the Royals without a long-term investment in the South African all-rounder. This unexpected turn of events puzzled experts and highlighted the unpredictable nature of cricketing decisions in the IPL.

7. Yuvraj Singh — DC

One of the best Indian All-Rounders in the game, Yuvraj Singh was always an IPL star and hence everyone expected him to go big in the IPL 2015 auction. It was Delhi Capitals that included him in the team for the season. However, Yuvraj struggled to regain his peak form. In 2015, Delhi Daredevils made him the then-most expensive IPL player, but he couldn't justify the hefty price tag. The Delhi-based franchise released him at the end of the season, marking a challenging phase in Yuvraj's illustrious career and hence he was again back in the auction pool for the next season.

8. Nicholas Pooran — LSG

A power hitter from the West Indies, Nicholas Pooran made it big in the IPL Auction 2023 by getting signed by Lucknow SuperGiants. Known for his explosive batting, the Trinidadian cricketer had a stellar IPL season in 2020, amassing 353 runs in 14 matches for the Kings XI Punjab. Ahead of the 2023 season, Lucknow Super Giants secured Pooran in the auction for nearly four times the amount Punjab paid in 2019, making him one of the costliest players in IPL history. In the 2023 edition, Pooran continued his impactful performance, tallying 358 runs in 15 matches, including two half-centuries. His consistent and powerful batting made him a key asset for the Lucknow Super Giants in the franchise-based league.

9. Pat Cummins — KKR

Getting his name again on the list, Pat Cummins was already a star in the 2020 auction as he was signed by the franchise Kolkata Knight Riders for an amount of Rs 15.50 Crore. However, in the season, Pat Cummins failed to deliver as per the expectations as in the 14 matches played by him, he managed only 146 runs and among the bowlers, he picked up just 12 wickets. The team management was keen to give him one more chance and hence he was retained by the team for the next season which allowed him to do well over there.

10. Ishan Kishan — MI

A Dynamic and stylish player who made everyone love his game, Ishan Kishan proved to be a magical player in the IPL Auction as he was bought by Mumbai Indians for a sum of Rs 15.25 Crore. Emerging as a standout performer in 2020, the young cricketer became the leading run-scorer (516 runs in 14 matches) for the Mumbai-based team. His remarkable innings also earned him the title of hitting the most sixes in the tournament, crucial in securing the Mumbai Indians' record fifth IPL title that year. In the 2022 IPL auction, Kishan was once again acquired by the Mumbai Indians, this time fetching a staggering price tag.