Most Expensive Player in IPL: Top 5 Most Expensive Buys

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the biggest T20 cricket leagues in the world, attracting some of the best players from around the globe. The league is known for its high-stakes player auctions, where teams bid for the services of the top players in the world. The 2023 IPL mini-auction was no different, with several records being broken as players signed for astronomical amounts of money.

Most Expensive Player in IPL

One player who made headlines at the 2023 IPL mini-auction was Sam Curran. The left-arm pacer was signed by Punjab Kings for a whopping INR 18.50 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Curran was an attraction in the auction after being named the Player of the Tournament in the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he was also named Player of the Match in the final, where England beat Australia. Curran had previously played for Chennai Super Kings in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and was signed by Punjab Kings for INR 7.2 crore in 2019. Over 32 games in three seasons, Curran has scored 337 runs at a strike rate of 149.78 and taken 32 wickets at an economy of 9.21.

The most expensive IPL buys in history after the 2023 mini-auction are:

1. Sam Curran (INR 18.50 Crore) – signed by Punjab Kings
2. Cameron Green (INR 17.50 Crore) – signed by Mumbai
3. Ben Stokes (INR 16.25 Crore) – signed by Chennai Super Kings
4. Chris Morris (INR 16.25 Crore) – signed by Rajasthan Royals in 2021
5. Nicholas Pooran (INR 16 Crore) – signed by Lucknow Super Giants
6. Yuvraj Singh (INR 16 Crore) – signed by Delhi Daredevils in 2015.

Another player who made waves at the 2023 IPL mini-auction was Cameron Green. The all-rounder was signed by Mumbai for INR 17.50 crore, making him the second most expensive player in IPL history. Green made his debut for Australia in T20Is in April 2022 and has a strike rate of 173.75 in eight matches, with two 50+ scores. Despite interest from Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, Green was eventually signed by Mumbai.

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Ben Stokes was another player who attracted a lot of interest at the 2023 IPL mini-auction. The England all-rounder was signed by Chennai Super Kings for INR 16.25 crore, tying the record with South Africa’s Chris Morris for the third-most expensive signing in IPL history. Stokes played a crucial role in England’s T20 World Cup winning campaign earlier in the year and was in high demand from multiple teams. Chennai Super Kings eventually signed him after a fierce bidding war, which saw his value soar from a base price of INR 2 crore to INR 16.25 crore.

Chris Morris was the most expensive player in IPL history when he was acquired by Rajasthan Royals at the IPL 2021 mini-auction. Morris was released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the auction, having bought him for INR 10 crore the previous year. Morris was engaged in a fierce bidding war which saw his value soar more than 21 times his base price of INR 75 lakh to a staggering INR 16.25 crore. Morris emerged as the leading wicket-taker for Rajasthan in IPL 2021 with 15 wickets in 11 matches, but had a poor season with the bat, scoring just 67 runs at an average of 13.40.

Nicholas Pooran was signed by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 16 crore in the 2023 IPL mini-auction, making him the most expensive wicketkeeper batter in IPL auction history. Pooran played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2022 season after being picked up in the mega auction for INR 10.75 crore. However, the franchise released him ahead of the mini auction, and he was eventually signed by Lucknow Super Giants. Pooran has also played for Punjab Kings and has an average of 26.06 with a strike rate of 151.24 over his four seasons in the tournament.

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