Most Expensive Player in IPL History
Rishabh Pant is the most expensive player in IPL history: Lucknow Super Giants paid ₹27 crore for him at the 2025 auction. Shreyas Iyer (₹26.75 crore, 2025) and Cameron Green (₹25.20 crore, 2026) are next. The next chance to break the record is the IPL 2027 mini auction on 16 December 2026.
Quiz: what is the most expensive IPL bid ever?
Top 10 IPL auction bids of all time
| # | Player | Team | Price | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishabh Pant All-time IPL record (Jeddah mega auction) | Lucknow Super Giants | ₹27 Cr | 2025 |
| 2 | Shreyas Iyer Record for a few minutes until Pant | Punjab Kings | ₹26.75 Cr | 2025 |
| 3 | Cameron Green Highest overseas bid; his fee is capped at ₹18 Cr under the overseas rule | Kolkata Knight Riders | ₹25.2 Cr | 2026 |
| 4 | Mitchell Starc Record at the time | Kolkata Knight Riders | ₹24.75 Cr | 2024 |
| 5 | Pat Cummins First player past ₹20 Cr | Sunrisers Hyderabad | ₹20.5 Cr | 2024 |
| 6 | Sam Curran Record at the time | Punjab Kings | ₹18.5 Cr | 2023 |
| 7 | Chris Morris Record at the time | Rajasthan Royals | ₹16.25 Cr | 2021 |
| 8 | Yuvraj Singh Bought by Delhi Daredevils | Delhi Capitals | ₹16 Cr | 2015 |
| 9 | Pat Cummins Top buy of 2020 | Kolkata Knight Riders | ₹15.5 Cr | 2020 |
| 10 | Ishan Kishan Top buy of the 2022 mega auction | Mumbai Indians | ₹15.25 Cr | 2022 |
Most expensive players in IPL 2026 squads
These are the fees in each team's 2026 squad, including retained players, who are paid by their retention slab rather than an auction bid.
| Player | Team (2026) | Fee | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | LSG | ₹27 Cr | Retained |
| Shreyas Iyer | PBKS | ₹26.75 Cr | Retained |
| Cameron Green | KKR | ₹25.2 Cr | Auction |
| Heinrich Klaasen | SRH | ₹23 Cr | Retained |
| Virat Kohli | RCB | ₹21 Cr | Retained |
| Nicholas Pooran | LSG | ₹21 Cr | Retained |
| Jasprit Bumrah | MI | ₹18 Cr | Retained |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | CSK | ₹18 Cr | Retained |
| Sanju Samson | CSK | ₹18 Cr | Retained |
| Arshdeep Singh | PBKS | ₹18 Cr | Retained |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | PBKS | ₹18 Cr | Retained |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | RR | ₹18 Cr | Retained |
| Pat Cummins | SRH | ₹18 Cr | Retained |
| Rashid Khan | GT | ₹18 Cr | Retained |
| Axar Patel | DC | ₹16.5 Cr | Retained |
Why prices jumped
Bids crossed ₹20 crore for the first time in 2024, when Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc went within hours of each other. A year later the mega auction reset every squad and teams with big purses fought over the few Indian captains on offer, which pushed Iyer and Pant past ₹26 crore. Since 2025 an overseas player's fee at a mini auction is capped, which is why Green's ₹25.20 crore bid pays him ₹18 crore.
Most expensive player in IPL: FAQ
Who is the most expensive player in IPL history?
Rishabh Pant. Lucknow Super Giants bought him for ₹27 crore at the 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, minutes after Punjab Kings paid ₹26.75 crore for Shreyas Iyer.
Who was the most expensive player at the IPL 2026 auction?
Cameron Green, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore. Because of the cap on overseas fees at a mini auction, he is paid ₹18 crore and the rest goes to the BCCI player-welfare fund.
Who is the most expensive overseas player in IPL?
Cameron Green with a ₹25.20 crore bid in 2026, ahead of Mitchell Starc's ₹24.75 crore in 2024.
Can the IPL 2027 auction break the record?
In theory yes, but it is a mini auction and overseas fees are capped, so a record needs an Indian star in the pool and a team with a big purse. We will update this page after the 16 December 2026 auction.