A List of the Most Expensive Players in IPL History

Numerous major domestic cricket events are held every year, but none of them come close to the Indian Premier League. The IPL stands at the top irrespective of which one of its aspects is considered. It features the best players from around the globe in teams competing against each other to clinch the prestigious IPL trophy. Besides this, the event also receives enormous viewership. According to Economic Times, the first half of the 2021 edition of IPL garnered over 380 million viewers. This can be deemed as substantial proof of the fact that IPL is indeed a globally-renowned top-tier tournament.

Fantasy cricket is another area where the IPL amasses a huge set of fans. The major T20 tournament facilitates fans to indulge in fantasy cricket online. By playing fantasy cricket games, fans can create their virtual team consisting of real players and predict the outcome of real cricket matches. Moreover, fans can also appoint the captain and vice-captain based on their preferences. There are numerous platforms available on the Internet that allow players to play fantasy cricket games and compete with cricket enthusiasts worldwide. All that players require to access fantasy cricket games online is a smartphone and a stable internet connection.

Besides being a highly-popular cricket tournament for fans, the IPL is also a massive commercial event that offers huge profits to every individual involved in the tournament. Everyone garners substantial revenue thanks to the event’s popularity among the masses. This is one of the primary reasons team owners do not hesitate to splurge large amounts of money on top-tier players during team auctions. Ever since the inception of the extravagant cricket tournament in 2011, many players have been bought by teams at extraordinary prices. Here is a list of the some of the most expensive players in the Indian Premier League’s history:

 

• Glenn Maxwell – 14.25 Crores

Every team wanted to acquire the hard-hitting batsman from the Land Down Under after his contract with Kings XI Punjab ended. However, RCB won the competition and bought the player by paying an enormous amount of 14.25 crores. They made the expensive move to add more raw power to their batting lineup’s middle order. Spending such an enormous amount was worthwhile for RCB since Maxwell put up exceptional displays of skills ever since the 14th season of the Indian Premier League commenced.

 

• Ben Stokes – 14.5 Crores

In their first-ever season, Pune Supergiants had a dry start in IPL and were on the lookout for top-tier players who could put the team’s name at the top of the ranking table. Therefore, in 2017, they fixated upon getting Ben Stokes and eventually bought him for 14.5 crores. The star English batsman lived up to his reputation and hit consecutive knocks. Pune Supergiants spending such a massive amount on a player proved worthwhile since they managed to reach the finals of the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League.

 

• Gautam Gambhir – 14.9 Crores

After having a decent run in the first and second seasons of the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders wanted a top-notch player who could lead the side to victory. In 2011, they decided to put their money on Gautam Gambhir, the player who majorly contributed to team India’s 2011 World Cup victory. KKR bought Gambhir by paying a mind-boggling amount of 14.9 crores. He proved to be an excellent addition by being a smart and sensible skipper. Furthermore, he also proved his leadership skills by winning two IPL titles for his team.

 

• Pat Cummins – 15.5 Crores

KKR splurged a large amount on another player yet again by acquiring Pat Cummins for 15.5 crores. Since the team lacked talent in the pace department, KKR decided to rope in the world-class fast-bowling all-rounder to add rigidity and strength to their bowling lineup. By being a part of the KKR squad, the Australian pacer added a lot of credibility to the team.

 

• Yuvraj Singh – 16 Crores

In the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League, Delhi Daredevils decided to rope in the hard-hitting Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh to strengthen their batting lineup further. Over the years, Yuvraj Singh has played for numerous teams in the IPL and his years of experience made DD acquire him. The Delhi team bought him for a whopping amount of 16 crores. This deal included the star batsman in the list of the most expensive IPL players. Having him on their side gave the team tons of benefits since Yuvraj played exceptionally well for the Delhi side in the 8th season.

 

• Chris Morris – 16.25 Crores

Rajasthan Royals decided to add Chris Morris, the destructive pacer from South Africa, to the squad and enhance their bowling lineup’s fierceness. They paid a hefty amount of 16.25 crores to add him to their squad in the fourteenth edition of the Indian Premier League. This deal broke a 6 year-long record held by Yuvraj Singh for being the most expensive IPL player. He showcased only a decent performance in the 14th season of IPL, which made fans question his expensive paycheck.

 

• KL Rahul – 17 Crores

KL Rahul, the skipper of the Lucknow Super Giants, holds the record for being the most expensive player in IPL history. LSG roped in the top-tier batsman-cum-wicketkeeper to lead the team smartly, and so far, he has been doing a great job.

The popularity of the IPL is exponentially increasing, which will positively impact revenue generation in the upcoming seasons. Hence, it is safe to say that team owners will splurge more money to get the best players for their respective teams to ensure that their team clinches the title and enhances their profits.