Kolkata Knight Riders broke the bank for Mitchell Starc last season splashing a staggering Rs 24.75 crore for him at the auction. He became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The mega auction is set to take place later this month and several top players will go under the hammer in the event. The purse for all the team has been increased to Rs 120 crore this time around and Punjab Kings (PBKS) is left with the maximum purse of Rs 110.5 crore. So there is a chance of Starc’s record being broken this time at the auction. Here we bring you three players who can become the most expensive player in IPL history:
1. Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant will be one of the most sought-after players in the mega auction. He was released by Delhi Capitals and there is every chance of Punjab Kings bidding aggressively for him with Ricky Ponting changing his base as head coach. Pant and Ponting have worked together in the Delhi team and the duo can unite again to help PBKS lift their first-ever IPL trophy. At the same time, even Royal Challengers Bengaluru could be ready to break the bank for the India wicketkeeper who provides a great middle-order batting option.
2. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan played for Mumbai Indians from IPL 2022 as the five-time champions paid him a whopping amount of Rs 15.25 crore. But he has been released now. Many will be surprised to see him on the list but at the age of 26, teams might look at him keeping the future in mind. Moreover, he is an aggressive opener and a wicketkeeper and as many as 8 teams need a keeper at the auction. This will certainly lead to Kishan’s final price inflating a lot and he might even end up touching the 25-crore mark. It also remains to be seen if MI bid for him again while teams PBKS and RCB are also expected to bid for him aggressively.
3. Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler was a surprise release by the Rajasthan Royals. England’s T20 World Cup-winning captain is still 34 years old and can fill three roles at a time – captaincy, wicketkeeping and opening which makes him a perfect package in the IPL auction. Even though he isn’t in his best of forms at the moment, Buttler’s excellent numbers are enough for him to make his case strong having smashed seven centuries in IPL so far while scoring 3582 runs in 106 innings. So one shouldn’t be surprised if teams break the bank for the Englishman at the auction.
