Highest-paid cricketers in IPL over the years, from MS Dhoni to Mitchell Starc

Player auction for 2025 to take place in Jeddah on Sunday and Monday

Mitchell Starc is the most expensive player in the history of IPL. AFP

It is time for one of the most enthralling events of the season. Yes, the five-Test Australia v India Test series begins on Friday, but we are not talking about that. It is time for the annual Indian Premier League player auction. Yay.

Almost all remaining Test series of this cycle are beginning over the coming weeks, with the fight of a spot in the World Test Championship final expected to intensify over the next few months. However, all eyes of the cricket world will be on Saudi Arabia for two full days as the player auction for IPL 2025 takes place in Jeddah on Sunday and Monday.

Why is the IPL auction being held on those days? Why is it taking place in the middle of the first Test between India and Australia, whose players will be in high demand during the auction and could get distracted? It is the BCCI decision, and only they know why they do the things they do.

Over two days in the kingdom, some of the biggest stars in the game will go into the auction pool after all 10 franchises announced their retentions - some of them surprising - which was raised to six per team to accommodate the requests of established teams who have invested heavily to create a successful core.

A number of top-tier players will be part of the proceedings, including the likes of Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Starc and Jos Buttler. With some teams left with a significant purse after the retentions, a few players could attract very high bids.

So how high can the bids go? Below is the list of the most expensive players in the history of IPL.

Most expensive players in IPL auction history

1. Mitchell Starc - 247.5 million Indian rupees ($3 million*), Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2024

2. Pat Cummins - 205m rupees ($2.47m), Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2024

3. Sam Curran - 185m rupees ($2.23m), Punjab Kings, 2023

4. Cameron Green - 175m rupees ($2.14m), Mumbai Indians, 2023

5. Ben Stokes - 162.5m rupees ($2m), Chennai Super Kings, 2023

5. Chris Morris - 162.5m rupees ($2.2m), Rajasthan Royals, 2021

7. Yuvraj Singh - 160m rupees ($2.67m) Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), 2015

7. Nicholas Pooran - 160m rupees ($1.98m), Lucknow Super Giants, 2023

9. Pat Cummins - 155m rupees ($2.18m), Kolkata Knight Riders, 2020

10. Ishan Kishan - 152.5m rupees ($1.86m), Mumbai Indians, 2022

Most expensive player in each IPL auction

2008 - MS Dhoni (95m Indian rupees, $1.5m), Chennai Super Kings

2009 - Andrew Flintoff (CSK) and Kevin Pietersen (RCB) (98m rupees, $1.55m)

2010 - Shane Bond (KKR) and Kieron Pollard (MI) (48m rupees, $750,000)

2011 - Gautam Gambhir (110.4m rupees, $2.4m), Kolkata Knight Riders

2012 - Ravindra Jadeja (97.2m rupees, $2m), Chennai Super Kings

2013 - Glenn Maxwell (53m rupees, $1m), Mumbai Indians

2014 - Yuvraj Singh (140m rupees, $2.33m), Royal Challengers Bangalore

2015 - Yuvraj Singh (160m rupees, $2.67m), Delhi Daredevils

2016 - Shane Watson (95m rupees, $1.4m), Royal Challengers Bangalore

2017 - Ben Stokes (145m rupees, $2.17m), Rising Pune Super Giants

2018 - Ben Stokes (125m rupees, $1.95m), Rajasthan Royals

2019 - Jaydev Unadkat (84m rupees, $1.17m), Rajasthan Royals

2020 - Pat Cummins (155m rupees, $2m), Kolkata Knight Riders

2021 - Chris Morris (162.5m rupees, $2.2m), Rajasthan Royals

2022 - Ishan Kishan (152.5m rupees, $2m), Mumbai Indians

2023 - Sam Curran (185m rupees, $2.23m), Punjab Kings

2024 - Mitchell Starc (247.5m rupees, $3m), Kolkata Knight Riders

* Dollar values according to exchange rate at the time