We are less than a week away from the mega IPL auction, as the world will shift their attention towards Bengaluru, where eight IPL franchises will battle it out for some of the best players in the world.
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The auction is always a very exciting event for fans, as the unpredictable and dynamic nature of the auction guarantees a couple of jam-packed days of action.
Over the years, some of the best players in world cricket have been bought for bucket loads of money. While there were many who raised their eyebrows at the thought of cricketers being traded for money, a la football stars, the dollar eventually reigned supreme in the auction.
Let’s look at five of the most expensive IPL players in auction history!
5) Dinesh Karthik – Delhi Daredevils
Dinesh Karthik’s price tag in the 2014 IPL auction raised quite a few eyebrows, as the Tamil Nadu star was bought by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 12.5 crores.
A T20 World Champion and Champions Trophy winner, Dinesh Karthik has had an accomplished career so far. Unfortunately for Karthik, he had to play under the humongous shadow of MS Dhoni for pretty much all his career, rendering him an afterthought in the eyes of Indian cricket fans.
Ultimately though, Karthik did not have a great IPL season with DD, as he could not inspire his team to great heights.
4) Yuvraj Singh – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Dinesh Karthik’s 12.5 crores was not the highest price in the auction, as RCB bought Yuvraj Singh for 14 crores.
Yuvi had a mini career revival around that time, and there was a sense that the old super star could come back to his best. Unfortunately for him, that did not happen as Yuvi only showed flashes of his brilliant best at RCB.
Once one of the most feared batsmen in world cricket, Yuvraj was now just another player in a star studded RCB lineup. While Yuvi and RCB seemed the perfect fit on paper, things just did not fall in place for the south paw in Bengaluru.
3) Ben Stokes – Rising Pune Supergiants
English all-rounder picked up a cool 14.5 crores, as Ben Stokes became one of the most expensive IPL players in history in 2016.
His power hitting with the bat was backed by his brilliant death bowling, as Stokes became an instant hit at Pune.
Playing his first season in the IPL, Stokes was one of the major reasons for Pune’s journey to last year’s final. Unfortunate;y, he missed the final due to national duties, as he could not help his side win the final.
2) MS Dhoni – Chennai Super Kings
Captain cool was the costliest player in the IPL auction back in 2008, as he was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings.
India’s world cup winning captain was the man that everyone wanted, and was expected to go for a huge price. But not many expected him to be signed for Rs 15 crores, something that cricketers could only dream of at that time.
It was also the beginning of Dhoni’s love story with CSK, as the Ranchi man was adopted by the city of Chennai with open arms. Ten years later, Dhoni will reunite with CSK, in what will certainly be an emotional moment for everyone involved.
1) Yuvraj Singh – Delhi Daredevils
This remains one of the most puzzling buys in history, as Yuvraj Singh was eventually bought by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 16 crores.
RCB had let go of Yuvraj, and expected to sign him back for something close to his base price. Delhi went all in for the left-hander, and expected to sign him for something between 12-14 crores.
But Yuvi was a man in demand, as RCB could only watch and rue their mistake, as the superstar made his way to Delhi.
