IPL 2026: A Look at the Most Expensive Buys Ahead of the First Game
- Rohit Chatterjee
- 7 hours ago
- 3 minutes read
At the IPL mini auction, teams spent huge amounts of money to reinforce their squads
India’s Men in Blue recently lifted the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, and therefore, many may think that it’s time to take a little break from cricket. However, this is India, and cricket never takes a break, as the country now begins preparation for the Indian Premier League (IPL), scheduled to begin on March 28. As we are all aware, the IPL is one of the most expensive domestic T20 leagues in the world, and therefore, before the tournament begins, take a look at the most expensive players from the mini auction.
Cameron Green
Cameron Green 35/2 in 4 overs and that crazy catch. It's time for his batting. pic.twitter.com/Utl2oh2Gia
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) April 21, 2024
Despite having a base price of INR 2.5 crore, Kolkata Knight Riders relentlessly pursued Cameron Green and uplifted his price tag to INR 25.2 crore, making him the most expensive player at the mini auction. Having made his IPL debut in 2023, Green has played 29 games in the tournament so far with 707 runs to his name at an average of 41.59 and a strike rate of 153.70. At the international stage, he has 638 runs and 14 wickets in 28 matches.
Matheesha Pathirana
From taking one of the best catch of the tournament to destroying Mumbai Indians in Mumbai - that's Matheesha Pathirana for you 💥
— Fan Account Richard Kettlebourogh (@RichKettle07) April 15, 2024
MI had Malinga, so MI destroyed everyone, But Now, CSK have Pathirana......#MIvsCSK #MatheeshaPathirana #MIvCSK #IPL2024pic.twitter.com/k0ufbAgvqO
Even the second most expensive player of the IPL mini auction belongs to the Riders. The Kolkata-based franchise put INR 18 crore on the Sri Lankan death over specialist, given he has been a weapon for the Chennai Super Kings. In 2023, Pathirana picked 19 wickets in 12 matches. Overall, Pathirana has 47 wickets in 32 matches, whereas in T20 international, he has 40 wickets in 28 games.
Prashant Veer
From taking one of the best catch of the tournament to destroying Mumbai Indians in Mumbai - that's Matheesha Pathirana for you 💥
— Fan Account Richard Kettlebourogh (@RichKettle07) April 15, 2024
MI had Malinga, so MI destroyed everyone, But Now, CSK have Pathirana......#MIvsCSK #MatheeshaPathirana #MIvCSK #IPL2024pic.twitter.com/k0ufbAgvqO
Prashant Veer went to Chennai Super Kings at INR 14.2 crore despite being an uncapped player, and this will be his debut IPL season. Hailing from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, the slow left-arm orthodox bowling all-rounder has nine T20 domestic matches to his name that saw him grab 12 wickets.
Kartik Sharma
Kartik Sharma talking about the excitement of joining CSK. 💛pic.twitter.com/pw437koyPM
— Pratyush Halder (@pratyush_no7) February 24, 2026
Kartik Sharma, another uncapped player purchased by the Super Kings for INR 14.2 crore, is a Rajasthan lad who has played 12 domestic T20 matches. In 12 matches, Sharma made 334 runs at an average of 30.36 at a strike rate of 162.92.
Liam Livingstone
Today Liam Livingstone dismissed on 4 runs in 10 balls against MI Emirates in ILT20
— Tejash (@Tejashyyyyy) January 2, 2026
- His scores in ILT20:
4, 16, 2, 7, 76, 12, 1, 0, 18, 4, 4
He only scored 144 runs in 11 innings with a strike rate of 117
SRH brought him for 13 crores for IPL 2026 🤦pic.twitter.com/SwfrBw5BGC
The fifth most expensive player from the mini auction is England’s Liam Livingstone, who joined Sunrisers Hyderabad at INR 13 crore. In 49 IPL matches, the all-rounder has 1,051 runs and 13 wickets. Livingstone is an IPL winner, having lifted the trophy last season while representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
