A Lookback at Most Expensive IPL Players from Each Auction
In less than a month from now, Kolkata will host the mini auctions for the next edition of the lucrative Indian Premier League. The trading window saw several transfers and swap-deals in the 11th hour which created enough buzz for teams as well as fans to mark their calendars for the auction, scheduled for December 19.
IPL has had a very rich history of showering fortunes on some of the best players in the modern cricketing history. However, players getting the highest bid have the downside of inviting immense scrutiny from this cricket frenzy country.
In this article, we will track back to look at the most expensive buys from each IPL and how those players fared against the amount spent on them by their franchises.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2008)- 9.5 crores
Bought for US$ 1.5 million (9.5 crores), MS Dhoni’s price didn’t come as a surprise to many following India’s Twenty20 WC triumph under his leadership to go alongside his big-hitting abilities. Captain cool didn’t disappoint as Chennai recorded more success than other franchises in the IPL. In the first season itself, Dhoni took Chennai to the finals.
Since 2008, Chennai have lifted three IPL titles, (2010, 2011 and 2018) and appeared in eight finals. There has been no IPL season where Chennai haven’t qualified for the playoffs.
Also see – World Test Championship points table
The franchise overcame the spot-fixing scandal to be reunited with their captain who represented Rising Pune Supergiant for two years, 2016 and 2017. CSK came back with a bang to win the 2018 IPL under MS Dhoni's captaincy and build on to the already huge cult following of his.
Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff (2009)- 9.5 crores
The second edition of the IPL saw two Englishmen take centre-stage as the most expensive buys.
Kevin Pietersen was bought by RCB whereas Andrew Flintoff was bought by CSK for a whopping sum of US$ 1.55 (9.5 crores). Going with their form, both bids seemed to be bang on but the franchises soon realized how big a mistake it was. Both batsmen remained unavailable for most of the tournament.
Pietersen scored only 93 runs in six matches at a miserable average of 15.50, 37 being his highest. In his three matches for CSK, Flintoff scored 62 runs and claimed five wickets.
Both player’s teams face each other in the semis, with RCB edging past CSK in the semi-final in South Africa only to be beaten by Adam Gilchrist’s Deccan Chargers in the finals.