The Indian Premier League (IPL), a professional T20 cricket league in India, is run by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It was established in 2007 and has ten franchise teams located in different cities.
After the NFL, the IPL is the second-richest sports league globally in terms of match value. Its four-season media rights, valued at $13.4 million per match, were sold to Viacom18 and Star Sports in 2023 for US$6.4 billion.
The first-ever IPL auction in 2008 made headlines when Chennai Super Kings secured MS Dhoni for $1.5 million. The IPL has completed 18 seasons as of the 2025 season. The current champions are the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who won the 2025 title by defeating the Punjab Kings in the final.
Players with the Most Expensive IPL Auction Price
Rishabh Pant – ₹27 Crore (Lucknow Super Giants, IPL 2025)
Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history in 2025 when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bought him for ₹27 crore at the IPL mega auction held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. LSG outbid Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), while Delhi Capitals (DC) used their Right-to-Match (RTM) card but chose not to match LSG’s final ₹27 crore bid.
Shreyas Iyer – ₹26.75 Crore (Punjab Kings, IPL 2025)
Shreyas Iyer became the second-most expensive player in IPL history when Punjab Kings bought him for ₹26.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. The bidding was intense after Kolkata Knight Riders released him before the auction. In IPL 2024, Iyer was signed by KKR for ₹12.25 crore.
Mitchell Starc – ₹24.75 Crore (Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2024)
In the IPL 2024 auction, Mitchell Starc made history when KKR bought him for ₹24.75 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at that time. After helping KKR win the 2024 title, he was released ahead of the new season. Delhi Capitals then acquired him for ₹11.75 crore in the 2025 auction.
Venkatesh Iyer – ₹23.75 Crore (Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2025)
In IPL 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders retained Venkatesh Iyer for a huge ₹23.75 crore, making him one of their highest-paid players and vice-captain. His journey started in IPL 2021 when he was bought for just ₹20 lakh.
Pat Cummins – ₹20.5 Crore (Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2023)
Pat Cummins became one of the most expensive players in IPL history when Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for ₹20.5 crore in the 2023 auction. Though he missed that season due to workload management, he captained SRH in IPL 2024.
Sam Curran – ₹18.5 Crore (Punjab Kings, IPL 2023)
Sam Curran set a record in the 2023 IPL auction when Punjab Kings bought him for ₹18.5 crore, the highest bid at that time. He continued with Punjab in 2024, scoring 270 runs and taking key wickets. In 2025, his price dropped sharply, and the Chennai Super Kings bought him back for a much lower amount.
Yuzvendra Chahal – ₹18 Crore (Punjab Kings, IPL 2025)
Yuzvendra Chahal became the most expensive spinner in IPL history when Punjab Kings signed him for ₹18 crore in the 2025 auction. He played for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for ₹6.5 crore in the previous season, 2024.
Arshdeep Singh – ₹18 Crore (Punjab Kings, IPL 2025)
One of the highest-paid Indian pacers, Arshdeep Singh, was signed by Punjab Kings for ₹18 crore in the 2025 Indian Premier League. After his stellar 2024 season with 19 wickets, Punjab used their Right-to-Match card to keep him after Sunrisers Hyderabad had bid ₹15.75 crore.
FAQs
Q. Do players in the IPL have to pay taxes?
A. Players in the IPL do pay taxes. They pay the remaining tax based on their income slab rate after the IPL franchise deducts 10% TDS before payment.
Q. What was the price of Dhoni in 2008?
A. MS Dhoni was the most expensive player at the 2008 IPL auction, selling for US$1.5 million.
Q. Who is the most costly player in the history of the Indian Premier League?
A. The most costly player in IPL history is Rishabh Pant. He was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore in the 2025 auction.
Q. How much did Mohammed Siraj cost in the 2025 Indian Premier League?
A. The Gujarat Titans paid ₹12.25 crore to purchase Mohammed Siraj at the 2025 IPL auction.
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