10 most expensive IPL players of all time

Following Rishabh Pant's record-breaking move to the Lucknow Super Giants in the 2024 mega auction, we look at the most expensive players in IPL history.

10. Arshdeep Singh - ₹18 crore

Punjab Kings (2024)

Arshdeep Singh was the first marquee player to be sold in the 2024 IPL mega auction as the Punjab Kings utilised their Right to Match card to snatch the Indian pace bowler from Sunrisers Hyderabad.

As many as five teams placed a bid for the 25-year-old, who claimed a season-best 19 wickets in the 2024 IPL campaign.

9. Sam Curran - ₹18.50 Crore

Punjab Kings (2022)

Sam Curran was once the most expensive player in IPL history when the Punjab Kings decided to splash ₹18.50 Crore (£1.85m) following a fierce bidding war with the Chennai Super Kings.

The England all-rounder, who had played an instrumental role in his country's T20 World Cup success prior to the auction, failed to live up to expectations with the Kings and Curran was sold in the 2024 mega auction to Chennai for ₹2.4 Crore (£225k).

8. Pat Cummins - ₹20.50 Crore

Sunrisers Hyderabad (2023)

After leading Australia to glory in the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup glory, Pat Cummins was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a substantial ₹20.50 Crore, though his signing was overshadowed by Aussie teammate Mitchell Starc's lucrative move to Kolkata Knight Riders.

Cummins replaced Aiden Markram as captain and in his first season guided the success-starved Hyderabad to the IPL final, where they were coincidentally defeated by Starc's Kolkata.

7. Nicholas Pooran - ₹21 Crore

Lucknow Super Giants (2024)

Lucknow Super Giants paid Nicholas Pooran a mammoth ₹21 Crore (£2m) to retain the explosive West Indies batter for the 2025 season.

Pooran excelled in his debut campaign with Lucknow, scoring 499 runs at an average of 62.38, the highest average in the tournament.

6. Virat Kohli - ₹21 Crore

Royal Challengers Bangalore (2024)

Superstar Virat Kohli was retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the forthcoming 2025 season and like Pooran, fetched a mighty ₹21 Crore.

The leading run-scorer in the IPL in 2024, Kohli's association with Bangalore stretches all the way back to 2008, with the 35-year-old being kept on for the fifth consecutive mega auction.

5. Heinrich Klaasen - ₹23 Crore

Sunrisers Hyderabad (2024)

South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen edged Kohli as the most expensive player to be retained in the IPL ahead of the 2024 mega auction.

The heavy-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman was re-signed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a lucrative ₹23 Crore off the back of an impressive campaign in which he amassed 479 runs with a strike rate of over 171.

4. Venkatesh Iyer - ₹23.75 Crore

Kolkata Knight Riders (2024)

Despite not being retained by the defending champions ahead of the auction, the Kolkata Knight Riders opted to splash ₹23.75 Crore to keep Venkatesh Iyer following a bidding war with Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The all-rounder, who was previously vice-captain at Eden Gardens, played a pivotal role in the Knight Riders' success in 2024.

3. Mitchell Starc - ₹24.75 Crore

Kolkata Knight Riders (2023)

Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in IPL history in 2023 when the Kolkata Knight Riders purchased him for ₹24.75 Crore ahead of the 2024 season.

Starc followed in the footsteps of fellow Australian pace bowlers Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson by joining Kolkata and he was a pivotal figure in their title-winning campaign, taking 17 wickets in 14 matches and claiming the scalps of Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi in the final.

Despite his success, Starc moved to Delhi Capitals for ₹11.75 Crore in 2024.

2. Shreyas Iyer - ₹26.75 Crore

Punjab Kings (2024)

Shreyas Iyer was the most expensive player in IPL history for a brief few minutes when the Punjab Kings broke the bank with a ₹26.75 Crore deal for the top order batter.

Both the Kings and Delhi Capitals were in the market for a new captain and Iyer was one of the most sought-after players having led the Knight Riders to the title in 2024.

1. Rishabh Pant - ₹27 Crore

Lucknow Super Giants (2024)

Rishabh Pant snatched the crown of the IPL's most expensive player from Shreyar Iyer as the Lucknow Super Giants exceeded the Delhi Capitals' Right to Match offer by paying a sensational ₹27 Crore.

India wicketkeeper Pant returned to competitive cricket ahead of the 2024 season following a 14-month absence and helped his nation to the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, showcasing his immense skillset with the bat.