IPL: 3 most expensive players at the auction

The mini-auction of the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will take place on Friday, December 23, 2022, in Kochi. A total of 405 players are set to go under the hammer of which 273 are Indian and 132 are overseas cricketers. The total number of capped players is 119, uncapped players are 282, and four are from associate nations. Over the past 15 editions of the league, many have fetched big bucks at the auction table. Here are the three most expensive buys.

Let’s take a look at the 3 of the most expensive players in the history of the IPL auctions:

3. Pat Cummins (15.5 crores)

Australian pace bowler Pat Cummins finds himself in the third position in this elite list. The right-arm pacer was sold for a staggering amount of INR 15.5 crores to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2020 auction. The two-time IPL champions KKR broke the bank for the Aussie speedster to secure his service and he picked up 12 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 34.08 and a strike rate of 26.0 with an economy rate of 7.86 to justify their investment. He also contributed with the bat and struck 146 runs in 11 innings, which also included one half-century. The Australian snared nine scalps in seven outings in 2021. KKR released Cummins as he has opted out of the upcoming edition citing a packed international schedule.

2. Yuvraj Singh (16 crores)

Yuvraj Singh was snapped up for a whopping INR 16 crores by Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2015. Earlier in 2014, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made a successful bid of INR 14 crores for the flamboyant cricketer. In back-to-back auctions, the swashbuckling batter earned a total of INR 30 crores in the cash-rich league. But the dashing player failed to repay the faith of the DC franchise. He scored 248 runs in 13 innings at a poor average of 19.07 and a strike rate of 118.09. He smashed only two half-centuries with the highest score of 57. Yuvraj was eventually released by DC and was roped in for INR 7 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016.

1. Chris Morris (16.25 crores)

The tall South African all-rounder Chris Morris is the most expensive player bought in the history of the IPL auctions. The right-arm pacer was bought by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a stupendous amount of INR 16.25 crores ahead of the 2021 season. The Protea seamer was the subject of a fierce bidding war which saw his base value rise high from INR 75 Lakhs to a whopping 16.25 crores. He was the leading wicket-taker for the RR franchise with 15 wickets in 11 innings at an average of 25.06 and a strike rate of 16.4. The costliest buy at the IPL auction, Morris announced his retirement from all forms of cricket ahead of the mega auction the following year in 2022.