Who are the top 5 most expensive buys in the history of IPL auctions?

The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled to be hosted at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. While the mini-auction might not have as many big names as in the mega-auction, there are several players who can still light up the tournament with their mesmerising skills and add immense value to teams.

When it comes to the purse, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are leading the standings with a whopping INR 64.3 crore at their disposal. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians (MI) are going into the auction with the smallest purse of INR 2.75 crore.

In this article, CricTracker takes a look at the top five most expensive buys in the history of IPL auctions.

Who are the top 5 most expensive buys in the history of IPL auctions?

5. Venkatesh Iyer - 23.75 crore

Venkatesh Iyer was roped in by KKR for INR 23.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega-auction. This move surprised cricket enthusiasts as many felt that the Knights had spent too much on the player instead of trying to re-hire Mitchell Starc or Phil Salt.

During IPL 2025, Iyer had a forgettable outing with the bat. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder only managed 142 runs from 11 matches at an average of 20.29 and a strike rate of 139.22. He also wasn't used with the ball at all. Iyer was subsequently released ahead of IPL 2026.