IPL Auction: RCB’s most expensive player in each IPL season
Over the years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have experienced both ups and downs in the IPL auction room.
12 Min Read
Over the years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have experienced both ups and downs in the IPL auction room. Every season, the franchise has been among the most aggressive bidders, unafraid to splash a huge sum of money on big names. From the first season in 2008 to their long-awaited maiden win in 2025, RCB has had an interesting auction history.
In almost every edition, the Bengaluru-based team made at least one major purchase. Out of these, three times their top bid turned out to be the most expensive buy of that particular season. Through the years, their auction strategy has evolved. While some investments paid off brilliantly, others fell flat, often leading to squad overhauls the following year.
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The franchise frequently chose to invest heavily in batting firepower but lacked bowling stability. Despite possessing some of the biggest names, the coveted IPL trophy came to them after nearly two decades. The face of this team has been Virat Kohli. The batter is the only cricketer to represent a single franchise for 18 straight years. Notably, in 18 seasons, the franchise has spent INR 1450 crore on player salaries and auctions, while in the 2025 season, the splurged INR 82.25 crore.
Here is the complete table of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's most expensive players in each IPL auction season
|
Year |
Players & Teams |
Price (in INR) |
|
2008 |
Jacques Kallis |
3.8 crore |
|
2009 |
Kevin Pietersen |
9.8 crore |
|
2010 |
Eoin Morgan |
1.1 crore |
|
2011 |
Saurabh Tiwary |
7 crore |
|
2012 |
Vinay Kumar |
5.3 crore |
|
2013 |
Jaydev Unadkat |
2.83 crore |
|
2014 |
Yuvraj Singh |
14 crore |
|
2015 |
Dinesh Karthik |
10.5 crore |
|
2016 |
Shane Watson |
9.5 crore |
|
2017 |
Tymal Mills |
12 crore |
|
2018 |
Chris Woakes |
7.4 crore |
|
2019 |
Shivam Dube |
5 crore |
|
2020 |
Chris Morris |
10 crore |
|
2021 |
Kyle Jamieson |
15 crore |
|
2022 |
Wanindu Hasaranga |
10.75 crore |
|
2023 |
Will Jacks |
3.2 crore |
|
2024 |
Alzarri Joseph |
11.50 crore |
|
2025 |
Josh Hazlewood |
12.50 crore |
*Note:
- The above table lists only those highest-paid players picked in the auction, excluding those retained, traded, or part of the icon players from the 2008 to 2010 seasons.
- IPL auctions from 2008 to 2013 were conducted in USD; hence, the prices have been converted to INR based on the average USD to INR conversion rate of the respective year.
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