England all-rounder Sam Curran broke Chris Morris’ record (Rs 16.25 crore) to become the most expensive buy at an Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, when Punjab Kings outbid Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) to sign him for Rs 18.25 crore (USD 2.25 million) at the IPL 2023 Mini Auction in Kochi on Friday.
At that price, Curran is also the most expensive player in the history of the cash rich league. He has been reunited with the franchise that first welcomed him into the mega tournament with an RS 7.2 crore bid in 2019. Curran was adjudged the player of the tournament at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, and since September this year he has taken 25 wickets in 14 T20s at an economy rate of 7.08. He has also improved his batting against spin: in 31 T20 innings since 2020, he has an average of 27.07 and a strike rate of 154.69.
Mumbai went as far as Rs 18 crore to try and line-up Curran alongside Jofra Archer, their other big-ticket England signing at last year’s auction, but they were eventually outbid by Punjab, who had begun the auction with the second largest purse. Shortly after failing to buy Curran, Mumbai managed to buy Cameron Green for RS 17.50 crore, making the Australian all-rounder the second most expensive player in IPL auction history.
While England all-rounder Ben Stokes was sold to CSK for Rs 16.25 crore, West Indies wicket-keeper batsman Nicholas Pooran was sold to LSG for Rs 16 crore.
England batter Harry Brook became the first millionaire at the IPL 2023 Mini Auction after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) snapped him up for a whopping Rs 13.25 crore.
Apart from Brook, Sunrisers Hyderabad also picked India opener, Mayank Agarwal, for Rs 8.25 crore
On the other hand, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was sold for Rs 2 crore to defending champions Gujarat Titans while former India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was roped in by CSK at his base price of Rs 50 lakh.
Meanwhile, former England captain Joe Root (base price Rs 1 crore) and South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw (base price Rs 2 crore) went unsold.
IPL 2023 auction: List of sold and unsold players
Sold players
Samarth Vyas (Base price Rs 20 lakh) sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20 lakh
Vivrant Sharma (Base price Rs 20 lakh) sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 2.6 crore
Shaik Rasheed (Base price Rs 20 lakh) sold to CSK for Rs 20 lakh
Mayank Markande (Base price Rs 50 lakh) sold to SRH for Rs 50 lakh (USD 60,000)
Adil Rashid (Base price Rs 2 crore) sold to SRH for Rs 2 crore (USD 243,000)
Ishant Sharma (Base price Rs 50 lakh) sold to Delhi Capitals for Rs 50 lakh (USD 60,000)
Jhye Richardson (Base price RS 1.5 crore) sold to Mumbai Indians for RS 1.5 crore (USD 182,000)
Jaydev Unadkat (Base price Rs 50 lakh) sold to LSG for Rs 50 lakh (USD 60,000)
Reece Topley (Base price Rs 75 lakh) sold to RCB for Rs 1.9 crore (USD 231,000)
Phil Salt (Base price Rs 2 crore) sold to Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore (USD 243,000)
HeRsich Klaasen (Base price Rs 1 crore) sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 5.25 crore (USD 640,000)
Nicholas Pooran (Base price Rs 2 crore) sold to LSG for Rs 16 crore (USD 1,951,000)
Ben Stokes (Base price Rs 2 crore) sold to CSK for Rs 16.25 crore (USD 1,981,000)
Cameron Green (Base price Rs 2 crore) sold to Mumbai Indians for Rs 17.5 crore (USD 2,134,000)
Jason Holder (Base price Rs 2 crore) sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 5.75 crore (USD 701,000)
Sikandar Raza (Base price Rs 50 lakh) sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 50 lakh (USD 60,000)
Odean Smith (Base price Rs 50 lakh) sold to Gujarat Titans for Rs 50 lakh (USD 60,000)
Sam Curran (Base price RS 2 crore) sold to Punjab Kings for RS 18.5 crore (USD 2,256,000)
Ajinkya Rahane (Base price RS 50 lakh) sold to CSK for RS 50 lakh (USD 60,000)
Mayank Agarwal (Base price RS 1 crore) sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for RS 8.25 crore (USD 1,006,000)
Harry Brook (Base price RS 1.5 crore) sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for RS 13.25 crore (USD 1,615,000)
Kane Williamson (Base price RS 2 crore) sold to Gujarat Titans for RS 2 crore (USD 243,000)
Unsold players
Priyam Garg (Base price RS 20 lakh)
Himmat Singh (Base price RS 20 lakh)
Rohan Kunnummal (Base price RS 20 lakh)
Shubham Khajuria (Base price RS 20 lakh)
LR Chethan (Base price RS 20 lakh)
Anmolpreet Singh (Base price RS 20 lakh)
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Base price RS 1 crore)
Tabraiz Shamsi (Base price RS 1 crore)
Adam Zampa (Base price RS 1.5 crore)
Akeal Hosein (Base price RS 1 crore)
Rilee Rossouw (Base price RS 2 crore)
Joe Root (Base price RS 1 crore)
Shakib Al Hasan (Base price RS 1.5 crore)
Litton Das (Base price RS 50 lakh)
Kusal Mendis (Base price RS 50 lakh)
Tom Banton (Base price RS 2 crore)
Chris Jordan (Base price RS 2 crore)
Adam Milne (Base price RS 2 crore)