Most expensive player at each IPL Auction from 2008 to 2018
In 2008, the Indian Premier League was unveiled as the next big thing in international cricket. With the global cricketing stars uniting together to participate in the most popular format of the game, garnered all attention of the Cricketing fans around the world and quickly IPL turned out to be a major annual event for all the Cricket lovers.
Along with IPL, the auction also turned out to be a popular event. As each season progressed, the excitement and thrill of auction procedure grew upwards. From a normal telecast of the procedures, the auction process has grown into a eagerly watched show. The big money flowing in, the surprise picks and the shocking omissions have all excited the viewers.
Let's take a look at the most expensive buys of each IPL Auction from 2008 to 2018.
#1 2008: MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings) - USD 1.5 Million
Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians), Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Knight Riders), Rahul Dravid (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Yuvraj Singh (Kings XI Punjab), and Virender Sehwag (Delhi Daredevils) were classified as icon players for the inaugural IPL Season and they did not enter the auction.
VVS Laxman, initially named as an icon player for the Deccan Chargers, voluntarily gave up his status to give his team more money to bid for players. Only Rajasthan and Chennai did not have any icon players. The icon players were entitled to receive 15 percent more money than the highest paid player of their respective teams in the auction. Tendulkar received USD 1.121 million, the highest among icon players. A total of 75 players (29 Indians) were sold at the auction.
As expected, MS Dhoni won the highest bid of USD 1.5 million as Chennai Super Kings bagged the Indian skipper for a record amount. Andrew Symonds was the most costly foreign player with Deccan Chargers spending USD 1.35 million for the Australian.
The Indian skipper was worth every penny as it turned out to be one of the most successful signings in the IPL history. Dhoni led the Chennai Super Kings into 7 finals and lifted the IPL Trophy thrice. Under his leadership, CSK also lifted the Champions League twice. They also hold the best winning percentage among all IPL Teams.