Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has fetched the highest bid at the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction, with the Mumbai Indians (KKR) paying Rs 15.25 crore for his services on Saturday.
MI’s winning bid overshadowed the Rs 14 crore paid by the Chennai Super Kings for Deepak Chahar earlier today. The Kolkata Kight Riders (KKR) shelled out Rs 12.5 crore for sought-after Indian batter Shreyas Iyer.
On Sunday, the Punjab Kings bought English all-rounder Liam Livingstone for Rs 11.5 crore, the third-highet bid at the auction.
Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur Nicholas Pooran and Wanindu Hasaranga were bought for Rs 10.75 crore each, while Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna and Avesh Khan fetched Rs 10 crore each.
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Meanwhile, veteran players like Faf du Plessis and David Warner were picked up for relative bargains, with RCB paying Rs 7 crore for the Protea, while the DC got the Aussie southpaw for Rs 6.25 crore.
Here are the top 10 most expensive players at the auction:
Ishan Kishan – Mumbai Indians (Rs 15.25 crore)
Deepak Chahar – Chennai Super Kings (Rs 14 crore)
Shreyas Iyer – Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 12.25 crore)
Liam Livingstone – Punjab Kings (Rs 11.5 crore)
Shardul Thakur – Delhi Capitals (Rs 10.75 crore)
Harshal Patel – Royal Challengers Bangalore (Rs 10.75 crore)
Wanindu Hasaranga – Royal Challengers Bangalore (Rs 10.75 crore)
Nicholas Pooran – Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rs 10.75 crore)
Lockie Ferguson – Gujarat Titans (Rs 10 crore)
Avesh Khan – Lucknow Super Giants (Rs 10 crore)
A total of 204 players, including 67 overseas players, were auctioned today, with the 10 franchises coughing up an eye-watering 551 crore on the purchases.
There were a total of 11 players who fetched at least Rs 10 crore, smashing the previous record by nearly three times.
