IPL auction 2022: From Chris Morris to Tymal Mills, 10 most expensive foreign buys at auctions

The IPL auction is round the corner. It’s an exciting, anxious as well as nervous time for the players as they are set to go under the hammer. This time it’s the mega auction where as many as 1,214 players will be in the fray. The teams will battle out to buy the best talents in intense bidding and an insane amount of money will be spent. While some players will become millionaires, there will be many who will miss out. There will be mixed emotions, there will be high-octane drama. Over the years we’ve seen teams shell out enormous amounts of money to sign players. Some predictable and some out of the blue. There is a chance that the banks will be broken and records created.

Before the madness starts, we take a look at the top 10 most expensive foreign buys in the history of IPL auctions:

1) Chris Morris – Rs 16.25 crore – Rajasthan Royals – IPL 2021 auction

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris became the most expensive player bought at the IPL auction when Rajasthan Royals shelled 16.25 crore for him in 2021. Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan all joined the bidding war. RR and PBKS were competing till the end before Rajasthan clinched the deal.

Morris had a mixed season in a disappointing campaign for RR. He did put in a couple of impact performances but overall he averaged just 13.40 with the bat. He was decent with the ball, picking up 15 wickets from 11 matches at an average of 15.06 and economy rate on a higher side at 9.17.

2) Pat Cummins – Rs 15.5 crore – Kolkata Knight Riders – IPL 2020 auction

Pat Cummins became the most expensive foreign buy at the 2020 IPL auction when KKR bought the Aussie pacer for a whopping 15.5 crore. It started with a bidding war between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals but eventually Kolkata Knight Riders clinched the deal at 15.5 crore. Cummins had a decent season, taking 12 wickets from 14 matches at an average of 34.08 and an economy rate of 7.86. He played the 2021 season as well, taking 9 wickets from 7 matches at an average 26.33 and an economy rate of 8.23 before he was released by the franchise ahead of the mega auctions.

3) Kyle Jamieson – Rs 15 crore – Royal Challengers Bangalore – IPL 2021 auction

Royal Challengers Bangalore broke the bank for New Zealand bowling all-rounder as they bought him for Rs 15 crore at the 2021 auction.

This came on the back of a stellar start to his Test career and an impressive Test series against India. Prior to the auction, Jamieson had picked up 36 wickets from six Tests at an impressive average of 13.27 and in four T20Is, he had scalped three wickets at an economy rate of 7.75.

He had made some crucial contributions with the bat down the order as well against India in the home Test series. RCB, Delhi Capitals started off the battle for Jamieson before Punjab Kings joined in. After a fierce bidding war between RCB and PBKS, the hammer came down at Rs 15 crore in favour of the RCB. Jamieson had a mixed season, picking up 9 wickets from nine matches at an average of 29.88, going at a slightly higher economy rate of 9.60. He wasn’t retained ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auctions.

4) Ben Stokes – Rs 14.5 crore – Rising Pune Supergiant – IPL 2017 auction

Prior to Cummins, Ben Stokes was the most expensive foreign player bought at an IPL auction. The England all-rounder was bought for Rs 14.5 crore by Rising Pune Supergiant at the 2017 IPL auctions. Yes, he was a marquee name in the auction pool but no one predicted he would be bought for such a whopping amount. There were six franchises battling to buy Stokes — Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils and Pune. Pune had to shell out Rs 14.5 crore to clinch the deal.

And Stokes delivered as well. He had the third-best average for an RPS batter in the season with 316 runs from 12 matches at 31.60. He also scored RPS’ only century of the season and in the bowling department, he picked up 12 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 26.33 and an economy rate of 7.18.

5) Glenn Maxwell – Rs 14.25 crore – Royal Challengers Bangalore – IPL 2021 auction

Royal Challengers Bangalore shelled out Rs 14.25 crore for Glenn Maxwell at the 2021 IPL auction. It surprised many because Maxwell had gone through one of the worst years in the IPL last season scoring just 108 runs from 13 matches at a strike rate of 101.88. He, however, had done well with the Australian national team. He was released by Punjab Kings after the horror season. KKR and RR started off the battle before RCB and CSK joined in. The RCB and CSK were involved in an intense bidding war before the former bagged the Aussie all-rounder.

Maxwell vindicated the faith of RCB by finishing as their highest run-getter in the season with 513 runs at an average of 42.75 and strike rate of 144.10. Ahead of the 2022 mega auctions, RCB retained the Aussie all-rounder for Rs 11 crore.

6) Jhye Richardson – Rs 14 crore – Punjab Kings – IPL 2021 auction

Another life-changing auction for a youngster. Twenty four-year-old Jhye Richardson had one of the best days of his life as Punjab Kings bought him for a staggering Rs 14 crore at the 2021 auction.

The Aussie pacer had finished as the highest wicket-taker in the 2021 Big Bash League and overall, had impressed with his ability to ramp up good pace and bowling economical spells. DC, RCB and PBKS were interested in buying Richardson but in the end, it boiled down to bidding battle between PBKS and RCB. PBKS, eventually, had their man for Rs 14 crore.

The pacer though had a tough time in the league. In his first three matches, he averaged 39 and gave away runs at 10.63 an over, picking up just three wickets. He wasn’t selected for the rest of the matches. He wasn’t retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.

7) Ben Stokes – Rs 12.50 crore – Rajasthan Royals – IPL 2018 auction

After a brilliant all-around performance in IPL 2017 where he played a crucial hand in taking Rising Pune Supergiant to the final, Stokes was going to be one of the most sought-after players for the IPL 2018 auctions. With RPS no longer a part of the IPL (They were handed a contract of just two years 2016 and 2017), Stokes went into the auction pool.

Yes, there was uncertainty with his pending court case following a late-night brawl but that didn’t seem to impact Royals’ decision as they bought him for Rs 12.5 crore. CSK, PBKS started off the bidding war before KKR joined in. KKR and PBKs took it forward but from out of nowhere RR jumped in and bagged the deal.

However, unlike 2017, he didn’t have the best of times, averaging just 16.33 with the bat from 13 matches and taking just 8 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 37.87 and an economy rate of 8.18.

He played three more seasons with the Royals and wasn’t retained ahead of the 2022 mega auction.

8) Tymal Mills – Rs 12 crore – Royal Challengers Bangalore – IPL 2017 auction

Like for many in the past, it was a life-changing auction for Tymal Mills who bagged Rs 12 crore at the IPL 2017 auction. He was the second-most expensive buy of that auction after Stokes.

Mills had to quit first-class cricket after being diagnosed with a congenital back condition. He then took to T20 and started off well. With his ability to ramp up pace and bowl yorkers, he had done well in the 2016-17 Big Bash League and three-match T20I series against India in the build-up to the auctions. But never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that he would be bought at 24 times his base price. He, however, didn’t have the best of times in the season, picking up five wickets from five matches at an average of 30.60 and an economy rate of 8.57.

9) Glenn Maxwell – Rs 10.75 crore – Kings XI Punjab – IPL 2020 auction

It was Maxwell’s reunion with Kings XI Punjab. And they were locked in an intense bidding war with Delhi Capitals. The hammer finally came down at Rs 10.75 crore with Kings bagging the deal to get back the Aussie all-rounder again at the 2020 auction.

The Big Show had gone through a tough time and had taken a short break due to mental health issues.

But there was never a doubt about his ability. On his day, he could single-handedly win matches for his team.

It, however, turned out to be a horror season for him as he scored just 108 runs from 13 matches at a strike-rate of 101.88 and was later released by the franchise.

Chris Morris – Rs 10 crore – Royal Challengers Bangalore – IPL 2020 auction

There is always the three-dimensional performance that Morris brings with him. He can bat, bowl and field. He’s good with the new ball and at the death. He can hit big sixes and take brilliant catches. All-rounders are a hot property in IPL and it’s not a surprise that Morris has kept attracting some high bids. Prior to the 2021 mega haul, Morris had attracted a big bid in the 2020 auction as well. RR, RCB, PBKS, MI all were in the hunt to secure his services. After a couple of intense bidding wars, RCB sealed the deal at Rs 10 crore.

Morris though had a mixed season with RCB as he scored just 35 runs from five innings at an average of 8.50 but impressed with the ball, picking 11 wickets from nine matches atan average of 19.09 and an impressive economy rate of 6.63.

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