IPL 2025: Here Are The Highest Paid Players From MI, CSK, RCB, KKR And Other Teams

The Indian Premier League is the world's biggest T20 franchise tournament, with teams going to great lengths to ensure a successful season. Franchises engage in fierce bidding wars to secure players who best fit their plans.

In the mega auction for IPL 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders shattered all previous records by signing Australia’s Mitchell Starc for Rs 24.75 crore, making him the most expensive player ever.

While this record was expected to stand for at least a few seasons, the 2025 mega auction delivered some major surprises. As the cricket world gears up for this year’s IPL, let’s take a look at the highest-paid players from each franchise.

Bidding for Rishabh Pant started at the base price of Rs 2 crore, but an intense bidding contest between Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Delhi Capitals ensured that he became the costliest player in IPL history. Ultimately, LSG won the battle with a bid of Rs 27 crore to rope in the wicketkeeper batter to their fold. Pant has also been named the captain of the side for the season. LSG will be hoping to lift their first title in Pant’s captaincy this year. 

After leading KKR to their third IPL title in 2024, Shreyas Iyer was expected to generate significant buzz in this year’s mega auction. With his impressive recent form in international cricket, he attracted strong interest from his former teams, Delhi Capitals and KKR. Punjab Kings also joined the intense bidding war for Iyer, ultimately signing him for a staggering Rs 26.75 crore. Iyer's leadership credentials as a captain also solved Punjab's long-standing leadership problem.

KKR used their Right to Match (RTM) card in a fierce bidding contest with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to sign Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 23.75 crore. Iyer, a long-time member of the KKR squad, has also been appointed as the team's vice-captain. With his explosive batting and medium-pace bowling, Iyer brings balance to the KKR side. 

Heinrich Klaasen emerged as the most expensive retained player ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The South African batter, who scored 479 runs including four fifties for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season, was handed a contract renewal worth Rs 23 crore. Klaasen will be crucial in providing stability in the SRH middle order. His big-hitting prowess may also come in handy in pressure situations.

The RCB brand is synonymous with Virat Kohli. So, it was not a surprise that RCB chose to retain him. A match-winner with the bat, Virat Kohli is the highest run scorer in IPL history. In IPL 2024, Kohli played 15 matches, scoring 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.70. He is the only player to play for the same team since the beginning of the IPL.

Chennai Super Kings chose to retain the core of its line-up by retaining Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad for Rs 18 crore each. While Jadeja's credentials as a match-winning all-rounder are well-established, CSK bet on Gaikwad as their future captain. As MS Dhoni was retained as an uncapped player for Rs 4 crore, it was easier for CSK to spend Rs 18 crore each to retain Jadeja and Gaikwad.

Rajasthan Royals have retained Yashaswi Jaiswal and skipper Sanju Samson for Rs 18 crore each. The duo has emerged as a key part of the team's core over the past couple of seasons, Jaidwal, who was bought for Rs 4 crore in the 2023 season, justified the price tag with his heroics with the bat. Samson, on the other hand, has been a part of the Rajasthan Royals camp since his debut in 2013, except for the 2016 and 2017 seasons when he played for Delhi.

Jasprit Bumrah is arguably the best pacer of the current generation, and it is not a surprise that Mumbai Indians chose to retain him for Rs 18 crore. What makes his price tag stand out is that he is MI's most expensive player ahead of other high-profile teammates such as Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav.

Gujarat Titans chose to retain Afghan spinner Rashid Khan for Rs 18 crore in the mega auction. At a price tag of Rs 18 crore, Rashid Khan is more expensive than the team's captain Shubman Gill. Apart from his bowling skills, he also contributes significantly with the bat as well, proving to be a powerful all-rounder in T20 format.

Delhi Capitals have retained Axar Patel for Rs 16.5 crore and appointed him as captain. This marks the first time Patel will lead an IPL franchise full-time. He has been part of the DC camp since 2019. In the previous edition, he scored 235 runs in 14 matches at an average of nearly 30 and took 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.65.