Who is the Highest Paid Cricket Player in IPL?

IPL Costliest Player in History

India’s wicketkeeper batter, Rishabh Pant is the costliest player in the history of the IPL. The left-handed batter was bought by the Lucknow Supergiants for ₹27 crores. The 2024 T20 World Cup champion was let go by Delhi Capitals ahead of the mega auction in 2025. His release from DC was a highly controversial move and raised a lot of eyebrows. While experts predicted the release because of pay issues, Pant in a tweet clarified that he did not leave DC because of money.

However, not many experts predicted him to be bought by LSG in the auction. Many believed Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru who entered the auction with the highest purse size would acquire the services of Pant. LSG and RCB made bids for the Indian wicketkeeper. The Bengaluru-based franchise made their final bid of ₹11.25 crores. Sunrisers Hyderabad replaced RCB in the race for signing Pant. The 2024 runner-up made their final bid of ₹20.50 crores which LSG responded with a bid of ₹20.75 crores. Delhi Capitals exercised their Right To Match option. LSG then responded with a final amount of ₹27 crores. DC did not use the RTM on the final amount which saw LSG bagging Pant.

List of Top 10 Most Expensive Player in IPL

Rishabh Pant is the most expensive player in the IPL history. The Indian wicketkeeper was bought by the Lucknow Supergiants for ₹27 crores. In IPL 2025, the teams had an increase in their purse sizes. The purse went from ₹100 crores to ₹120 crores which meant the players were in for big rewards.

Interestingly, while most experts predicted Rishabh Pant to be the most expensive player in the IPL 2025 auction no one thought would land at LSG. LSG entered the auction with a purse of ₹69 crores which was less than PBKS’ ₹110.5 crores, RCB’s ₹83 crores, and DC’s ₹73 crores.

LSG started the bidding process for Pant and went head-to-head with RCB for ₹11.25 crores. SRH entered the bidding war and made the highest bid of ₹20.50 crores. LSG made the final bid of ₹20.75 crores before Delhi Capitals exercised their right-to-match option. LSG then made their final offer for ₹27 crores which saw them signing Pant as the most expensive IPL player.

IPL 2024 winning captain, Shreyas Iyer entered the 2025 auction with a lot of teams searching for captains. For a short while, Iyer held the record for being the most expensive player in the IPL auction when he was bought by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crores. While Iyer may not possess the range of shots Pant has, however, the former KKR skipper has a proven track record as a captain in the IPL.

Iyer seemed like he was on the target list of PBKS. PBKS entered the auction with a purse of ₹110.5 crores they dictated the terms with every bid for the first two sets of marquee players. Iyer’s former team, KKR started the bidding action and made their last bid of ₹9.75 crores. DC and PBKS then battled each other for Iyer. For seven years, the Indian top-order batter was part of the Delhi Capitals who were also in the market looking for a captain. The bidding war saw the Punjab franchise buy Iyer for ₹26.75 crores.

Mitchell Starc was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping amount of ₹24.75 crores. The left-arm pacer was returning to the IPL after nine years. He might not have been at his best for the first half of the 2024 season but his experience showed in the final stages of the season during IPL playoffs. He was the game-changer for the eventual champions, KKR. His bowling, especially, in the powerplay made a huge difference in both playoff matches.

In Qualifier 1 against SRH, Starc dismissed three players in the playoffs including the wicket of in-form batter, Travis Head. In the final of IPL 2024, Starc was once again at his best with the new ball. He picked up two wickets in the powerplay including Abhishek Sharma.

Among the Pants, Shreyas, and Starcs of the world, Venkatesh Iyer is rather a surprise name on the list of the most expensive players in the IPL. The 30-year-old was bought for ₹23.75 crores by Kolkata Knight Riders. Notably, KKR released the Madhya Pradesh-born all-rounder in the auction.

However, Venky Mysore, the owner of KKR was determined to buy back Iyer to the extent that he went on to pay ₹23.75 crores. Iyer has player for KKR in four seasons scoring 1,326 runs at a strike rate of 137.12. But Iyer showed a lot of promise in the previous season where he scored 370 runs at a strike rate of close to 160 and was a pivotal player in KKR winning the trophy. In the two playoff matches in 2024, Iyer scored two half-centuries both at a strike rate of higher than 180.

KKR and LSG fought in the beginning for Venky, the Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise made a final bid of ₹7.50 crores. RCB replaced LSG in the race for acquiring Iyer and made a final bid of ₹23.50 crores, KKR then made the last bid to sign the all-rounder.

Before Starc became the most expensive player in the IPL 2024, his ODI and test skipper, Pat Cummins held the record for a short while. Cummins was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹20.50 crores. The 2016 champions were searching for a captain as they bought the Australian.

The right-arm pacer might not have led his side to become IPL champions but was an inspirational leader who captained a side with young players. He played a huge role in the development of Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Under Cummins’ captaincy, SRH was the most explosive team thanks to Travis Head, Abhishek, and Heinrich Klaasen.

Cummins himself too had a decent season where he picked up 18 wickets in 16 matches. His economy of 9.27 RPO looks expensive in isolation. However, the way the season went, the right-arm pacer was more than a handy bowler during different phases of the game.

With the bat in hand, Cummins wasn’t required a lot by his team. He scored 136 runs in the season at a strike rate of 143.15 hitting eight sixes in the season.

Sam Curran is one of the most sought-after players when it comes to T20 leagues all over the world. Curran has been identified by many teams as a jack of all trades. The English all-rounder is known for his ability to bat at multiple positions in the order as well as bowl in every phase of an innings.

Except there is almost nothing that Curran can’t do in a T20 game. His ability to be a player with such high utility fetched him ₹18.50 crores from Punjab Kings making him the third most expensive player in the IPL.

Since the left-arm bowling all-rounder was bought by PBKS his performances have been below par. As a bowler, he has picked up only 26 wickets in 27 matches. Curran has also failed to control the flow of runs and has leaked more than 900 runs at an economy of more than 10 runs per over. With the bat in hand, Curran has 546 runs in the two seasons at a strike rate of less than 130. His statistics show that he has failed to win matches for his team or make significant contributions.

In IPL 2024, Curran was the skipper of the side when Shikhar Dhawan got injured. Under his leadership, PBKS looked a slightly improved side and even chased down the highest total in the history of T20 format. His leadership skills might convince, PBKS to retain him at a similar amount for which they bought him.

Arshdeep Singh is currently in the race to become the highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is. The left-arm pacer was bought back by Punjab Kings for ₹18 crores. The young left-arm pacer played a crucial role in India’s successful title win in the 2024 T20 World Cup. While he had already shown his skills in the powerplay with swinging deliveries, Singh has added another skill to his inventory. He has become a death-over specialist which is a highly sought-after skill in modern-day T20 cricket. His ability to perform under pressure makes him a hot property in the IPL.

In 65 matches for the Punjab Kings in six seasons, Arshdeep has picked up 76 wickets at an economy of 9.02. While these numbers are not fascinating, they are not true evidence of his abilities. At the same time on the international stage, the left-arm pacer has picked up 95 wickets in only 60 matches and has been the best bowler since his debut. With a high ceiling of potential, PBKS might consider themselves lucky to get Arshdeep at ₹18 crores only. The fast bowler was on the target list of many teams and received bids from Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH made the final bid of ₹15.75 crores after which PBKS exercised their RTM option. SRH increased their bid to ₹18 crores which was matched by PBKS.

Yuzvendra Chahal not consistently playing for the Indian cricket team is as mysterious as his spin bowling. Chahal is the highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is and is the highest wicket-taker in the IPL as well. Chahal was bought for ₹18 crores by the Punjab Kings. The 34-year-old was released from the Rajasthan Royals and entered the auction as possibly the best Indian spinner.

Chahal has picked up 205 wickets in 160 matches in the IPL in spite of spending more than half of his career at RCB and bowling at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. His career economy of 7.84 has taken a bit of a hit in the last two seasons thanks to the impact player rule. However, he is still one of the best spinners in the competition and can control the middle overs. Playing for PBKS in their new stadium, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium could benefit both the team and Chahal. The long boundaries of the stadium would be a great place for him to bowl his flighted deliveries.

Chahal like Arshdeep received interest from multiple teams. Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Supergiants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Punjab Kings made bids for the veteran leg-spinner. PBKS won the race for signing him at the end with a final bid of ₹18 crores.

Since his debut against India in late 2020, Cameron Green has been regarded by fans and different IPL franchises as one of the stars of the next generation. Green’s physical attributes, such as his height and muscular build, add to his all-around abilities on the field.

The five-time champions bought green, Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 for ₹17.50 crores which made him the fourth most expensive player in the IPL. The Australian all-rounder was an instant hit with the bat in hand in his first season. Green scored 452 runs at a strike rate of 160 with an average of 50.22. This included a century that helped seal the fourth qualification spot for the Mumbai Indians.

Green was traded to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2024 season to offload some cash and make way for Hardik Pandya. At RCB, Green wasn’t at his fluent best. He scored 255 runs at a strike rate of 143 with an average of less than 32.

With the ball in hand, Green is yet to make the same impact he has made with bat. In the two seasons, the Australian pace-bowling all-rounder has picked 16 wickets while leaking runs at nine runs per over.

In spite of being one of the lesser-known South African players, Chris Morris has possibly earned the most amount of money from the Proteas in the IPL. The tall lanky all-rounder has been a part of four different franchises in his eight years at the league.

In 2021, Morris became the most expensive player in the IPL before the record was taken away from him two years later. Morris was bought by the Rajasthan Royals for ₹16.25 crores.

The South African pace-bowling all-rounder did not have a great season with either the bat or ball in hand. In 11 matches for the inaugural champions, Morris picked up 15 wickets while going for more than nine runs per over. With the bat in hand, Morris had a dwindling season where he only managed to score 67 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of less than 140.

Ben Stokes has been a phenomenal cricketer in the International circuit. He has often won England matches single-handedly from a position of defeat with the most famous one being in Ashes 2019 at Headingley. His ability to change a match in just a few balls made him a great all-rounder and someone who was wanted by most IPL franchises.

In the 2023 IPL auction, along with Curran and Green, Stokes too got himself a big fat paycheck from the Chennai Super Kings. The English all-rounder became the fifth most expensive player in the IPL when he was bought by the five-time champions for ₹16.25 crores.

Stokes's IPL career and his international career have been contrasting in nature. The left-handed batting allrounder played only two matches in IPL 2023. He scored 15 runs with the bat facing 14 balls. He bowled only one over and was proven to be expensive conceding 18 runs. He did not take part in the next season.

Year Wise Highest Paid Cricketers in IPL

It is seldom the case that there is a record list for the IPL that does not feature the name of MS Dhoni. The former Indian skipper was the most expensive player in the IPL in the inaugural season when he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings in 2008 for ₹9.5 crores.

In 2009, the most expensive players were both from England. Kevin Pietersen by RCB and Andrew Flintoff by CSK were bought for ₹9.8 crores each. Shane Bond by KKR and Kieron Pollard by MI in 2010 were bought for ₹4.8 crores making them the most expensive players in IPL for that season.

Over the years the most expensive player in the IPL have earned huge sums of money. Yuvraj Singh and Ben Stokes in particular have been the most expensive players of the year twice. Yuvraj Singh in 2014 and 2015 was picked for ₹14 crores by RCB and ₹16 crores by DD respectively. Stokes in 2017 was bought by RPSG for ₹14.5 crores and ₹12.5 crores in 2018 by RR.

In the last couple of years, the salary for the costliest players of the season has increased exponentially. Sam Curran and Mitchell Starc in 2023 and 2024 respectively broke the record for the most expensive player in the IPL.

However, in the 2025 IPL auction with the increased purse sizes of the teams, Rishabh Pant with a signing amount of ₹27 crores broke the record for being the most expensive player in the history of the IPL. The wicketkeeper-batsman was bought by the Lucknow Supergiants.

Most money spent in IPL auctions by teams

Royal Challengers Bengaluru in spite of never winning an IPL trophy has spent the most money in IPL auctions. RCB has spent ₹903.10 crores. Despite making the finals of the IPL thrice, RCB has never settled with a group of players for a long duration which has resulted in lots of buying and selling at the auctions.

RCB is followed by Punjab Kings at number two on the spending list. PBKS has also never won an IPL trophy in spite of spending ₹851.21 crores. Five-time champions, Mumbai Indians are ranked third. MI has always been a team with great scouting. They have spent ₹843.13 crores while sitting at the auction table. The latest IPL champions, Kolkata Knight Riders with a total spending of ₹822.24 crores are fourth on this table. KKR also held the record for the most expensive buy in IPL history before it was overtaken by LSG in 2025.

Delhi Capitals in spite of never winning an IPL trophy are ranked fifth. DC has spent ₹812.21 crores over the years at the IPL auctions. Chennai Super Kings are known for retaining most of their players which is evident by their position on this table. CSK has spent ₹741.33 crores in the eighteen years of the IPL auction.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals have won the trophy once each and are seventh and eighth on this list respectively. SRH has spent ₹657.07 crores while the inaugural champions have spent ₹578.84 crores.

Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Supergiants are the latest teams to join the IPL. They joined in 2022 and have been a prominent player at the auction table. The 2022 champions, GT have spent ₹165.8 crores in four years. LSG on the other hand has spent ₹159.9 crores since 2022.