IPL Auction: LSG's most expensive player in each IPL season

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), one of the two new franchises introduced ahead of the IPL 2022 season, were purchased for a record INR 7,090 crore by the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, which had earlier owned the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and 2017.

Under the guidance of Andy Flower as head coach and Gautam Gambhir as mentor, LSG enjoyed an impressive start, qualifying for the playoffs in both their first two seasons. The franchise built a solid core featuring big names such as KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, and Nicholas Pooran.

However, in IPL 2024 and 2025, the team endured mixed results, finishing in the group stage both times. Justin Langer took over as head coach, while Rishabh Pant was named captain for the IPL 2025 season after KL Rahul’s release, a move that also saw Pant become LSG’s most expensive buy in the auction.

Despite high expectations, LSG’s IPL 2025 campaign proved underwhelming as they finished seventh, managing only six wins in 14 matches. While their on-field performance dipped, the franchise continued to make headlines at the auction table, consistently securing marquee players for record sums.

Now, with a major revamp underway, the franchise has brought in Tom Moody as Global Director of Cricket and Kane Williamson as Strategic Advisor, aiming to rebuild and return stronger in the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Over the years, LSG have shown ambition both on and off the field, and with their new leadership setup, fans will be hoping the team can finally convert big spending into championship success.

Here is the complete table of Lucknow Super Giants' most expensive players in each IPL auction season

Note:

• The above table lists only those highest-paid players picked in the auction, excluding those retained, traded.
• The LSG entered the IPL in 2022. The team is owned by the same owner, which had previously owned the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise during the 2016 and 2017 IPL seasons. However, those two years under the former name are not considered part of LSG’s current history.