10 Most expensive players in IPL auction history

5. Ben Stokes - 16.25 Crores (2023)

One of the greatest all-rounders in limited overs history, England star Ben Stokes set the 2023 IPL Auction ablaze with a bidding war. As a result, Stokes became the joint third-most expensive player in the IPL along with Protea Chris Morris. The MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings acquired his services for a whopping 16.25 Crores.

Renowned for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat on several occasions, the England star played a major role in England's T20 World Cup campaign last year. Ben Stokes struck an unbeaten 52 in the final against Pakistan at the MCG to pilot England to lift yet another World Cup, though, this time in the T20 format. Regarding his bowling exploits, Stokes fared well in the T20 World Cup. He scalped six wickets with a fairly decent economy of 6.79 in the mega event.

Notably, Stokes' bidding war began with a price of Rs 2 crore. After the bidding battles between Rajasthan Royals (RR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who raised the price bar to Rs 7 crore, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) too showed their interest towards Stokes. Amidst this, CSK splurged heavily to successfully sign Ben Stokes for a humongous amount.