IPL Auction. (Source – IPL)
Over the years in the Indian Premier League (IPL), teams haven’t backed away from shelling out impressive amounts of money to acquire impactful players and bolster their sides. The total amount spent at each auction is interesting to look at as it underscores how much the popular franchise league has grown over the years.
Ahead of the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organised an auction where eight teams put in efforts to assemble strong sides. A total of USD 36.43 million was spent in the first-ever IPL auction. Meanwhile, last year’s auction saw a whopping INR 230.45 crore being spent by the 10 participating teams.
Interestingly, Mitchell Starc created history at this auction as he went to Kolkata Knight Riders for a record sum of INR 24.75 crore.
Also Read: IPL Auction 2025: What is the accelerated process in mega auction? Explained
The last mega auction ahead of IPL 2022 has the record of seeing the most amount of money being spent by the teams. It will be interesting to see whether the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction, ahead of the 18th edition of the league, manages to surpass the record that was set three years ago. The IPL 2025 mega auction will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 24 and 25.
It is important to note that Punjab Kings will enter the mega auction with the largest remaining purse. They will have a staggering INR 110.50 crore at their disposal. Meanwhile, first-ever champions Rajasthan Royals will have the lowest remaining purse of INR 41 crore. Fans are waiting with bated breath to see how their favourite teams go about forming their squads during the two-day auction.
The total salary cap now includes the auction purse, incremental performance pay, and match fees. For the 2024 season, the total salary cup did not include match fees, which has just been introduced. The auction purse for the franchises has been set at a whopping INR 120 crore for IPL 2025.
Let’s take a look at the money spent at each IPL auction:
| Year | Money spent |
| 2008 | USD 36.43M |
| 2009 | USD 7.65M |
| 2010 | USD 3.65M |
| 2011 | USD 62.775M |
| 2012 | USD 10.995M |
| 2013 | USD 11.885M |
| 2014 | INR 262.6 crore |
| 2015 | INR 87.60 crore |
| 2016 | INR 136 crore |
| 2017 | INR 91 crore |
| 2018 | INR 431 crore |
| 2019 | INR 106.80 crore |
| 2020 | INR 140.30 crore |
| 2021 | INR 145.30 crore |
| 2022 | INR 551.70 crore |
| 2023 | INR 167 crore |
| 2024 | INR 230.45 crore |