The IPL 2023 auction is less than a week away. The auction for the 16th edition of the tournament will be held on December 23 in Kochi.
A total of 405 shortlisted players will go under the hammer, out of which 273 are Indians and 132 are overseas players. All the 10 franchises have announced their released and retentions list last month; with a maximum squad sixes of 25 permitted, a maximum of 87 slots, with up to 30 overseas slots, can be filled during the auction.
Every year, the auction is filled with surprises. Fans are always left in awe of the amount of money that is splurged in the auctions. Jaws drop when a player gets sold for a huge amount.
In this article, we recall the most expensive player at each of the last 15 IPL auctions:
2008 – MS Dhoni, 9.5 crore
In the inaugural IPL auction back in 2008, the Chennai Super Kings bought the then-Indian skipper, MS Dhoni, for 9.5 crore. Dhoni and CSK became one of the greatest player-franchise stories in any sport.
The Ranchi-born Dhoni has marched CSK to 4 IPL titles so far. The IPL 2023 is all but certain to his the last IPL for the 41-year-old skipper.
2009 – Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, 9.8 crore
Two big Englishman – Pietersen and Flintoff – got the highest bids in the 2009 IPL auction, both sold for 9.8 crore, CSK buying the all-rounder while RCB buying the charismatic batsman.
However, both couldn’t live up to their price tag: Pietersen scored 93 runs in 6 matches, and Flintoff managed 62 runs in 3 games and with 2 wickets.
2010 – Shane Bond, Kieron Pollard, 4.8 crore
New Zealand pacer Shane Bond and West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard were the most expensive players in the 2010 auction, each bought at 4.8 crore, with Bond going to KKR and Pollard to Mumbai Indians.
Pollard had a blockbuster season, helping MI reach the final and then he became one of the key members playing a crucial role in all of Mumbai’s 5 IPL title wins. Bond, though, flattered to deceive, picking up 9 wickets in 8 matches for KKR.
2011-Gautam Gambhir, 14.9 crore
After three disappointing IPL seasons, KKR went all in for Gautam Gambhir, splurging out 14.9 crore over the India batsman and appointed him as their new captain. After an impressive season, Gambhir finally delivered KKR their maiden IPL trophy in 2012, and repeated the feat in 2014.
2012-Ravindra Jadeja, 12.8 crore
By 2012, Ravindra Jadeja had made a key part of Team India and was touted the next big all-rounder in world cricket, which he became in the coming years. Having already played under Dhoni, Jadeja was bought by CSK for a whopping 12.8 crore at the 2012 auction.
Jadeja has won two IPL titles with CSK in 2018 and 2021; the left-handed all-rounder has featured in 142 matches for CSK out of his total 210 IPL games. He was named the captain for IPL 2022 but stepped down mid-season after a disastrous half campaign.
2013-Glenn Maxwell, 6.3 crore
2013 began the love affair of Glenn Maxwell and IPL auctions when the Australian all-rounder, still in the early years of his international career, was bought for 6.3 crore – the costliest pick in that auction – by Mumbai Indians.
However, the Maxwell remained largely unused by MI for most of the season, featuring in just 3 matches, and was released.
2014-Yuvraj Singh, 14 crore
One of India’s greatest white-ball all-rounders and match-winners, Yuvraj Singh bagged a deal of 14 crore in the 2014 auction from RCB.
The southpaw had a decent season, amassing 376 runs and picked 5 wickets but was released by RCB.
2015-Yuvraj Singh, 16 crore
In the hindsight, being released by RCB gave Yuvraj a profit of 2 crore as in the 2015 auction, the Delhi Daredevils broke the bank for him, splurging 16 crore! Yuvraj still is the most expensive ever Indian player at an IPL auction.
Yuvraj, however, had an underwhelming season, managing only 276 runs at a strike rate of 118, and was duly released by Delhi.
2016-Shane Watson, 9.5 crore
Frustrated by their title drought, RCB decided to go big on Australian all-rounder Shane Watson in 2016 and bagged the Aussie for 9.5 crore.
Watson didn’t do much with the bat, averaging just 13, but did picked up 20 wickets in RCB’s run to the final, where they lost to SRH.
2017-Ben Stokes, 14.5 crore
Entering his maiden IPL auction, England all-rounder Ben Stokes had franchises chasing after him. The bidding in 2017 IPL auction grew fierce with new team Rising Pune Supergiants slashing out 14.5 crore on the Englishman.
Stokes lived up to his price and delivered a magnificent season – 316 runs at 31 and 12 wickets the ball – to take RPSG to the final, but they lost the final in Stokes’ absence to MI.
2018-Ben Stokes, 12.5 crore
After RPSG’s stint was over in the IPL, Stokes was back in the auction pool and again, in 2018, the all-rounder was the most expensive buy – RR, who came from a 2-year ban, bagged Stokes for 12.5 crore.
However, this time, the superstar England all-rounder couldn’t live up to the expectations and had an under-par season – 196 runs along with 8 wickets.
2019-Jaydev Unadkat, Varun Chakravarthy, 8.4 crore
Out of nowhere, and barely anyone could have predicted, but pacer Jaydev Unadkat and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy both became the costliest picks in the IPL 2019 auction with RR and KKR buying them.
Both of them, however, didn’t set the season on fire with the ball. Unadkat picked 10 wickets in 11 matches while Chakravarthy played in just one game, picking a solitary wicket.
2020-Pat Cummins, 15.5 crore
Australia pace all-rounder, Pat Cummins was targeted by a number of teams in the 2020 auction, but it was KKR who acquired his services for a big sum of 15.5 crore.
Cummins had an average season, though, where he managed 12 wickets with the ball and 146 runs with the bat.
2021-Chris Morris, 16.25 crore
Being a seam-bowling all-rounder Morris was likely to get handsome bids, but even he wouldn’t have thought that he’d become the most expensive ever IPL auction pick when RR shelled out 16.25 crore for the South African all-rounder.
Morris featured in 11 matches, wherein he averaged only 13 with the bat, but was impressive with the ball, nipping out 15 wickets.
2022-Ishan Kishan, 15.25 crore
MI were elated to regain Ishan Kishan after releasing him ahead of the 2022 mega-auction. It was, though, a huge price they had to pay – 15.25 crore. Kishan, who’d been with MI from 2018 to 2021, was the most expensive pick of the last mega-auction.
Although MI finished last in the points table, Kishan had an impressive season – scoring 418 runs but his strike rate of 120 needs to get better.
