Year Wise Most Expensive Player In The IPL Auction

The Indian Premier League undeniably is the most lucrative league among all other T20 leagues in the world. The cricketers who go under the hammer in the IPL auction are way more than in any other T20 tournaments they partake in. Consequently, they end up earning four or five times more than the base price.

Not only international players with an excellent reputation but also lesser-known players end up earning millions in the auction. With each passing season, the bidding, the players receive keeps reaching new heights. Few expensive players from auction live up to the hype and produce the goods while others fall flat in light of the pressure situations, unable to live up to the expectations.

Also Read: 5 Players Who Can Trigger Bidding Wars In The IPL 2020 Auction

We take a look at every player from each season who secured the highest bid:-

2008 – MS Dhoni for INR 6 crores (Chennai Super Kings):

Following his triumph as a captain in the ICC World T20 2007, MS Dhoni expectantly finished securing the highest bid with the amount $1.5 million (approx INR 6 Crore). The veteran proved his mettle as a captain and as a player, scoring 441 runs in 16 games and leading Chennai Super Kings to the final of that season.

As of 2019, MS Dhoni is one of the most successful skippers in IPL history, captaining the Chennai Super Kings in 174 games, winning 104 out of them. MS Dhoni has also lead the team to three IPL titles and the playoffs each time.

2009: Andrew Flintoff (Chennai Super Kings) and Kevin Pietersen (Royal Challengers Bangalore) for INR 7.35 crores

Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen were regarded as the two pillars of English cricket in all three formats of the game. The two English players entered the auction with a lofty reputation and hogged the limelight as the most expensive players, earning approximately INR 7.35 crores.

Flintoff’s tenure was only limited to three matches before a knee injury ruled him out of the entire tournament. In three games, the all-rounder could manage to score only 62 runs and pick up three wickets. His teammate Kevin Pietersen captained the Bangalore-based franchise and featured in six matches before flying to England for international duties.

2010: Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians) and Shane Bond (Kolkata Knight Riders) – INR 3.4 crores

Kieron Pollard walked in the auction as one of the hottest picks, mainly owing to his explosive performances in the Champions League T20 2009. Kiwi pace ace Shane Bond made his comeback to international cricket in the year 2009 after a trail of injuries had dented his career.

The duo broke the bank and was bought for the maximum price of $ 750,000 each. However, with both the players inviting intense competition among the franchises, the decision had to be taken through an undisclosed tie-breaker. It was revealed later that Kieron Pollard would turn out for Mumbai Indians and Shane Bond had sealed the deal with Kolkata Knight Riders approximately for INR 3.4 crores each.

The towering all-rounder from the Windies didn’t average much; however, his strike rate stood at a mammoth 185.71. His athleticism on the field was an added bonus along with his bowling that yielded 15 wickets in 14 games that season. BlackCaps fast bowler Shane Bond had a quiet year with KKR, bagging nine wickets in eight matches.

2011: Gautam Gambhir for INR 11.4 crores (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The first three seasons saw the highest bid limit to only single figures in crores. The 2011 season surpassed the single figures to end the highest bids in double figures. This time it was Gautam Gambhir who was paid a sum of $2,400,000 (INR 11.4 crores) by Kolkata Knight Riders.

The southpaw fared well in that season for the franchise, scoring 378 runs in 15 matches at an average of 34.36. It was also the first time that KKR made it to the playoffs and would go on to become IPL champions in 2012 and 2014 under the captaincy of Gambhir.

Also Read: MS Dhoni To Decide Future After IPL 2020: Sources

2012: Ravindra Jadeja for INR 9.72 crores (Chennai Super Kings)

Ravindra Jadeja played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala, faring reasonably with the bat but couldn’t make an impact with the ball. Following the franchise’s termination ahead of the 2012 season, the all-rounder entered the auction. Jadeja drew massive bids from almost all the franchises before Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers were tied after both bid 2 million for him.

Eventually, Jadeja signed up with the yellow army for INR 9.72 crore approximately. While Jadeja averaged only 15 with the bat and 24 with the ball in 2012, he became one of the vital cogs in the following years for the franchise.

2013: Glenn Maxwell for 5.3 crores (Mumbai Indians)

The 2013 season saw Victorian Glenn Maxwell shot to fame as he bagged the highest bid in the 2013 IPL auctions. Mumbai Indians secured the swashbuckling all-rounder’s services for a whopping sum of $ 1 million (INR 5.3 crores). Before the IPL, Maxwell also shone in the Big Bash League for Melbourne Stars, striking in excess of 150.

Unfortunately, Maxwell turned out as an epic disappointment for Mumbai Indians. The 30-year old could manage only 36 runs in three matches and was consequently released by the franchise ahead of the next season.

2014: Yuvraj Singh for 14 crores (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

The 2014 season sprang a surprise when Yuvraj Singh emerged as the highest-earning player in the auction. The southpaw breached the previous highest bid of INR 11.4 crores and went on to pocket INR 14 crores. Considering his performance in the 2013 season in which he averaged only 19.83, it was indeed shocking to see the left-hander leapfrog everyone.

The Punjab-born batsman had a rare good season, scoring 376 runs at an average of 34.18. Despite having a productive season and finishing as the second-highest run-getter for the franchise, he faced an axe by Bangalore in the next season.

2015: Yuvraj Singh for INR 16 crores (Delhi Daredevils):

For the second successive year, Yuvraj Singh earned the maximum bid for any player. This time the flamboyant left-hander touched new heights, obtaining a sum of 16 crores from Delhi Daredevils. Considering the enormity of the bid, the stakes became sky-high for Yuvraj to help Delhi clinch the title this time.

Sadly, his campaign suffered a nosedive as he could scrape to only 249 runs in 14 games at an abysmal average of 19.15. The miserable performance made sure that the 37-year old was shown the way out by franchise for the subsequent season.

2016: Shane Watson for INR 9.5 crores (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Shane Watson entered the 2016 auction following his release from his previous franchise for whom he had played since the start, Rajasthan Royals. Royal Challengers Bangalore purchased the Australian all-rounder for an enormous sum of $1.98 million (INR 9.5 crores). The Queenslander provides the perfect balance for any team and could be relied upon to open the batting as well as bowling.

While Watson couldn’t showcase his skills with the bat in the season, he picked up 20 wickets in 16 games. The franchise retained him for the subsequent season; however, he proved to be a liability in both the departments. He went on to play for Chennai Super Kings post that.

2017: Ben Stokes for INR 14.5 crores (Rising Pune Supergiants)

The Rising Pune Supergiants pulled off the biggest selection coup in the auction by acquiring England’s Ben Stokes. The Kiwi-born all-rounder became the heart of England’s revolutionised white-ball set up. With his all-round skills, Stokes can turn the game on its head. The Pune-based franchise won the bidding war by purchasing him for a record-breaking price of $2.16 million (INR 14.5 crores).

Stokes became one of the few cricketers in the IPL who fully justified his price tag. Even though the 28-year old couldn’t feature the whole season; he played a vital role in helping Pune reach the final of the tournament. Pune undoubtedly missed his services in the final as they lost it to Mumbai Indians by just one run. Stokes received the award for the man of the tournament for scoring 316 runs, including a century and snaring 12 scalps.

2018: Ben Stokes for INR 12.50 crores (Rajasthan Royals)

The dissolution of Rising Pune Supergiants for the 2018 season put Ben Stokes back in the auction. To little surprise, the 28-year old yet again fetched the highest amount of bid in the 2018 auction. This time Rajasthan Royals pouched him for a sum of INR 12.5 crores.

Nevertheless, Stokes couldn’t replicate the form of his previous year as his performance went drastically down. The Kiwi-born all-rounder scratched to only 196 runs in 13 games and snapped eight wickets. However, considering his moniker as game-changer, the franchise has decided to retain him for the upcoming season.

2019: Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals) and Varun Chakravarthy (Kings XI Punjab) for INR 8.4 crores each

The latest auction of the IPL was best known for the Indian recruits ruling the bids. Two surprise picks in Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy finished achieving the highest bids for a sum of INR 8.4 crores each for Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab respectively.

However, both the expensive recruits failed to create an impact. Thus, they were shown the way out by the franchises for the next season. Left-arm seamer Unadkat picked up ten wickets in 11 games at an average of just under 40. While mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy played just the one game, having picked up just the one wicket.

2020: Pat Cummins for INR 15.5 Crores (Kolkata Knight Riders)

It was no surprise that Pat Cummins went for an amount as huge as 15.50 crores. The fast bowler from New South Wales came an inch close to topple Yuvraj Singh’s price of INR 16 crores when Delhi Daredevils snared him in 2015. The number one Test bowler entered the auction with a base price of INR 2 crores. Predictably so, since Cummins resurrected his career from a trail of several injuries to top the Test bowling rankings.

The price of 15.50 crores may come as a debatable one since many feel that he is injury prone and not quite suited to limited-overs. Pat Cummins also featured in IPL 2017 in which he ended with 15 wickets in 12 games. In 77 T20s, the 26-year old has 92 wickets at a good economy rate of 7.72 with an average of 24.46. He would certainly hope to increase his stocks in the limited-overs version better than what spells currently.

Also Read: Top 10 Most Expensive Players Ever In IPL History