Most expensive Indian players at IPL auction
What's the story
2018 IPL auction has finally come to an end after two days of exhaustive bidding from the 8 franchises. 169 players have been sold out of the 578 players that went under the hammer in Bengaluru. 113 Indian players were bought and a total of Rs. 431 crore was spent. Here is the list of the most expensive Indian players sold at the auction.
Rs. 11.5 crore
T20 cricket's new big boy Jaydev Unadkat
Indian pacer, Jaydev bagged himself an Rs. 11.5 cr pay cheque, making him the most expensive Indian player at the IPL auctions. The 26-year-old was bought by the returning Rajasthan Royals for the massive sum. An experience IPL campaigner, Unadkat has bagged 56 wickets in 47 matches and played for the Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 edition.
Rs. 11 crore
Indian opener KL Rahul
Indian opener, KL Rahul also bagged a double-figure pay cheque after Kings XI Punjab paid Rs. 11 cr for his services. One of the most talented players in the Indian Premier League, Rahul missed the 2017 edition due to an injury. He scored 397 runs in 14 matches at an average of 44.11 and a strike rate of 146.49 in the 2016 edition.
Rs. 11 crore
Middle order specialist Manish Pandey
Indian middle-order batsman, Manish Pandey was also a hot-pick of this season. Sunrisers Hyderabad bid a massive Rs. 11 Cr to make him a part of the orange army. The sum even made KKR opt against using the RTM card to retain him. The 28-year-old batsman was one of KKR's best performers in the last edition, scoring 396 runs at an average of 49.50.
Rs. 8.8 crore
Baroda all-rounder Krunal Pandya
The older of the Pandya brothers, Krunal sparked a bidding war but Mumbai Indians, without a second thought, used the RTM card to keep hold of their man. Krunal, whose IPL career only began 2-editions before, has been a crucial cog in the wheel for Mumbai. He has scored 480 runs in 25 matches at an average of 36.92 while also picking up 16-wickets.
Rs. 8 crore
Wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson
Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman, Sanju Samson was bought for Rs. 8 crore by his former franchise, Rajasthan Royals. Mumbai Indians were also interested in bringing Sanju on-board. Sanju played for Delhi Daredevils in the last two IPL seasons after the Royals were suspended. Despite being just 23, Sanju has played 66 matches and has 1,426 runs to his name.
Rs. 7.8 crore
All round man Kedar Jadhav
Indian middle-order batsman, Kedar Jadhav has been bought by the Chennai Super Kings for a massive for Rs. 7.8 crore. Jadhav, who is an experienced IPL campaigner, has played for the Delhi Daredevils, Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the past and will represent a new franchise this season. He has scored 893 runs at an average of 23.50 from 64 matches.
Rs. 7.6 crore
Spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin
India's spin wizard, Ravichandran Ashwin was sold to Kings XI Punjab for a sum of Rs. 7.6 crore. Fans expected that Chennai Super Kings will go for the ace spinner, but CSK opted against that. Ashwin made his IPL debut in 2009 and has been an integral part of CSK before they were suspended.