Highest paid cricketers in IPL since its inception

Indian Premier League begun in the aftermath of India winning the famous 2007 T20 World Cup. The air surrounding this exciting format resulted in the inception of this cash rich league. Players from different countries started playing for the same franchise. Short game with intense action and excitement for fans. Huge sixes and close encounters is what IPL was all about. Apart from all these aspects, IPL was an amazing place for players as it bought them huge sums of money. Every year teams spend chunks of currency to strengthen their sides.

Lets have a look at the highest paid cricketers in IPL since 2008 –

1. Virat Kohli (Rs 17 crores)

Virat Kohli has been an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore side since 2008. He has been a strong force for the team. Apparently Bangalore has never managed to clinch the title but the Indian skipper has always done justice with his role in the side. He was retained at an amount of 17 crores by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018 Auction that makes him the highest paid cricketer on the list.

2. Yuvraj Singh (Rs 16 crores)

Delhi Daredevils bought Yuvraj Singh at a mammoth price of 16 crores. He was expected to turn fortunes of the Delhi side but he failed miserably. He just took one wicket in the entire season and scoring only 248 runs with an average of 19.07 was highly disappointing.

3. Rohit Sharma (Rs 15 crores)

Rohit Sharma has won 3 IPL titles for the Mumbai Indians. This was enough for the owners to retain the most successful skipper for 15 crores. He has been a impact player with the bat as well. He has been with Mumbai Indians from 2011 scoring minimum 300 runs every season.

4. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Rs 15 crores)

3 IPL titles for the former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Chennai Super Kings have a 100% record of making it to the playoffs. Being a brute force himself he has always got the best out of his players. After the 2 year ban CSK retained MS Dhoni for 15 crores. Apparently Chennai Super Kings won the 2018 IPL title by defeating SRH in the finals.

5. Ben Stokes (Rs 14.5 crores)

The English all rounder was sold at a humongous price of 14.5 crores in IPL 2017. He proved his worth by doing a commendable job for his side. Scored a crucial 100 while playing against Gujarat Lions when his team was in a spot of bother. Unfortunately he didn’t perform that well in IPL 2018 for Rajasthan Royals.

6. Yuvraj Singh (Rs 14 crores)

The famed elegant batsman Yuvraj Singh was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore at the highest price in the history of IPL back then. This move was not a good one as Yuvraj Singh struggled to find his form throughout the campaign and was released in the next season.

7. Ben Stokes (12.5 crores)

Ben Stokes had a long break from cricket for different reasons like injuries and controversies. He looked totally out of touch in the initial part of the tournament. Gathered some form in the later stages but failed to produce match winning performances. He was bought for 12.5 crores in IPL 2018 Auction.

8. Shikhar Dhawan (12.5 crores)

Shikhar Dhawan got 12.5 crores for his services in 2017. He is still the highest paid player for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has been playing for SRH from 2013 and has done well scoring 2021 runs in 69 matches for the orange army. He is known for his aggressive batting, good fielding and astonishing celebrations.

9. Ravindra Jadeja (12 crores)

Chennai Super Kings bought Ravindra Jadeja at 12 crores in 2012. Some might say it was a overpriced bid but it proved out be a perfect buy for the Super Kings. He has done pretty well for them over the years. Played for Rajasthan Royals and Kochi Tuskers Kerala before making it to the lions den.

10. Jaydev Unadkat (11.5 crores)

2017 IPL was a great outing for Jaydev Unadkat where he picked crucial wickets in almost every match. Apparently got RPS to a good start in the finals as well but Mumbai Indians spoiled the party for the Rising Pune Supergiant. His good bowling performances got him a 11.5 crore contract at Rajasthan Royals this year. He failed to deliver and was highly expensive in some games.