The IPL 2026 auction is only a few days away and the buzz is already strong. A total of 1355 players registered and 350 have been shortlisted for the event in Abu Dhabi on 16 December. With only 77 slots available, including 31 for overseas players, franchises are expected to go hard at their preferred targets. Mini auctions often produce heavy bidding and dramatic price spikes. Over the years, the rise in player value has been remarkable. Last season Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history after Lucknow Super Giants bought him for 27 crore. Shreyas Iyer went for 26.75 crore in the 2025 mega auction and Venkatesh Iyer fetched 23.75 crore. These numbers show how rapidly the league has grown since the early seasons.
Everything started in 2008 when MS Dhoni was sold to Chennai Super Kings for 6 crore. It was the highest bid of the inaugural auction and the beginning of an iconic partnership. In 2009 Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff topped the chart with 7.55 crore. Gautam Gambhir broke the 10 crore barrier in 2011 with a 11.04 crore deal for Kolkata Knight Riders. Ravindra Jadeja took the top spot in 2012 at 12.8 crore. Yuvraj Singh then became the headline name for two consecutive years with 14 crore in 2014 and 16 crore in 2015. Ben Stokes dominated the next phase with record sums in 2017 and 2018, while Chris Morris stunned the 2021 auction with a 16.25 crore deal. Sam Curran and Ishan Kishan followed with major buys before Mitchell Starc created history in 2024 with 24.75 crore. Below is the full table of the most expensive player from every IPL season. Most Expensive Players in IPL Auctions
| Year | Player | Team | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | MS Dhoni | CSK | INR 6 cr |
| 2009 | Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff | RCB, CSK | INR 7.55 cr |
| 2010 | Shane Bond, Kieron Pollard | KKR, MI | INR 4.8 cr |
| 2011 | Gautam Gambhir | KKR | INR 11.04 cr |
| 2012 | Ravindra Jadeja | CSK | INR 12.8 cr |
| 2013 | Glenn Maxwell | MI | INR 6.3 cr |
| 2014 | Yuvraj Singh | RCB | INR 14 cr |
| 2015 | Yuvraj Singh | DD | INR 16 cr |
| 2016 | Shane Watson | RCB | INR 9.5 cr |
| 2017 | Ben Stokes | RPS | INR 14.5 cr |
| 2018 | Ben Stokes | RR | INR 12.5 cr |
| 2019 | Jaydev Unadkat, Varun Chakravarthy | RR, KKR | INR 8.4 cr |
| 2020 | Pat Cummins | KKR | INR 15.5 cr |
| 2021 | Chris Morris | RR | INR 16.25 cr |
| 2022 | Ishan Kishan | MI | INR 15.25 cr |
| 2023 | Sam Curran | PBKS | INR 18.5 cr |
| 2024 | Mitchell Starc | KKR | INR 24.75 cr |
| 2025 | Rishabh Pant | LSG | INR 27 cr |
As the 2026 mini auction arrives, teams will once again search for match winners who can shift the balance of a season. With several sides holding sizeable purse amounts, another record breaking day cannot be ruled out.
