The countdown has started, and the excitement around the IPL 2026 auction is already at its peak. With only a few days left, all the franchises are gearing up for another dramatic and action-packed IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
A total of 1355 cricketers registered for the IPL 2026 auction, and from that huge list, only 350 players have been shortlisted to go under the hammer in Abu Dhabi next week. With only 77 slots up for grabs and just 31 of them for overseas players, the competition is extremely tight.
Mini auctions are usually known for sudden bidding wars and unexpected price explosions, and the upcoming event is expected to be no different. The rise in player value over the years has been unbelievable.
Last season alone, Rishabh Pant created headlines when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) picked him for an astonishing 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.
Right behind him, Shreyas Iyer was snapped up for 26.75 crore in the 2025 mega auction by Punjab Kings (PBSK), and Venkatesh Iyer fetched 23.75 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
These huge numbers show how quickly the league has grown and how much teams are willing to invest in players who can change games.
The stars who lit up the IPL Auction stage first
This dazzling trend has come a long way from the early days. It all started in 2008 when the legendary MS Dhoni was sold to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for 6 crores. It was the highest bid of the very first IPL auction and marked the start of a legendary partnership between them.
The following year, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff topped the charts together at 7.55 crore when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and CSK brought them, respectively. The real turning point came in 2011, when the current Indian head coach and former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir crossed the 10-crore barrier with an 11.04 crore deal from the franchise.
Then in 2012, Ravindra Jadeja was the highest-paid IPL player when CSK spent 12.8 crore to acquire the Indian all-rounder’s services. In 2013, the Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell topped the chart as the Mumbai Indians brought him for 6.3 crores.
How IPL prices exploded from 2014 to 2025
Later, Yuvraj Singh dominated back-to-back auctions in 2014 and 2015 with massive deals of 14 crore and then 16 crore with RCB and Delhi, respectively. In 2016, Shane Watson was the most expensive player, with RCB spending 9.5 crores for the former Australian all-rounder.
After that, England all-rounder Ben Stokes got the big-money deal in 2017 and 2018—14.5 crore with Rising Pune Supergiants and 12.5 crore with Rajasthan Royals, respectively. Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy also have the honor of being the joint most expensive players in the 2019 season after RR and KKR spent 8.4 crore for their services.
In 2020, the Australian captain and fast bowler Pat Cummins ruled the chart with a 15.5 crore deal with KKR. Chris Morris shocked everyone with a stunning 16.25 crore deal with the Royals in 2021.
But the bar kept rising with big signings like Ishan Kishan (15.25 crore, MI in 2022) and Sam Curran (18.5 crore, Punjab Kings in 2023), until Mitchell Starc rewrote history in 2024 with a jaw-dropping 24.75 crore deal with the KKR.
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