The IPL auction is where cricket talent gets big money. Over the years, many players have received huge bids. The IPL 2025 mega auction, held at the Abady Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, made headlines. Five players joined the list of the top 10 most expensive signings in IPL history.
Rishabh Pant, released by Delhi Capitals, was picked by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore. This made him the most expensive player ever in IPL history. Just before this, Shreyas Iyer, former KKR captain, was signed by Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore.
Top 10 Most Expensive IPL Players
- Rishabh Pant – ₹27 crore (Lucknow Super Giants, 2025).
- Shreyas Iyer – ₹26.75 crore (Punjab Kings, 2025).
- Mitchell Starc – ₹24.75 crore (KKR, 2024).
- Venkatesh Iyer – ₹23.75 crore (KKR, 2025).
- Pat Cummins – ₹20.50 crore (Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2024).
- Arshdeep Singh – ₹18 crore (Punjab Kings, 2025).
- Yuzvendra Chahal – ₹18 crore (Punjab Kings, 2025).
- Yuvraj Singh – ₹16 crore (Delhi Daredevils, 2015).
- Ben Stokes- ₹16.25 crore (CSK, 2023).
- Gautam Gambhir – ₹14.9 crore (KKR, 2011).
Historic Bids
Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player ever in IPL history. Punjab Kings also made waves by using their RTM card to keep Arshdeep Singh for ₹18 crore. They didn’t stop there, securing Yuzvendra Chahal for the same ₹18 crore price tag.
Mitchell Starc’s ₹24.75 crore signing by KKR in 2024 remains a standout deal, placing him third on the all-time list. KKR showed no hesitation in spending big again, re-signing Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crore in 2025.
In 2015, Yuvraj Singh was the talk of the town when Delhi Daredevils bought him for ₹16 crore, setting a record at the time.
Standout Players and Their Records
MS Dhoni was the first big signing in IPL history. Chennai Super Kings bought him for $1.5 million in 2008. He has stayed with CSK since then and won five IPL titles. Gautam Gambhir’s ₹14.9 crore bid by KKR in 2011 was also historic. He led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.
Ben Stokes and Yuvraj Singh are the only players to be the costliest in multiple seasons. Stokes was bought by Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 for ₹14.5 crore and by Rajasthan Royals in 2018 for ₹12.5 crore. In 2023, CSK bought Ben Stokes for ₹16.25 crore.
Yuvraj Singh, meanwhile, was taken by Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹14 crore in 2014. In the next season, Delhi Daredevils picked him for ₹16 crore.
The IPL auction continues to be an exciting event where talent meets massive money.
