The Indian Premier League is not only the most competitive T20 competition globally but, also has a reputation for generating excitement and producing shockers during the auctions. Since its introduction in 2008, IPL has produced moments that have surprised fans globally whenever auctions are held.

Fans have witnessed bids that have been mind-boggling and have changed the scenario of this exciting event. We have witnessed auctions of players who weren’t expected to attract a hefty bid but were paid heavily while their performances looked below par. In this piece, we discuss the five most shocking bids that were the most talked about in the history of this tournament.

1. Tymal Mills- Royal challengers Bangalore-12 crores 2017 Season

The 31-year-old England pacer was looked into as a handy white-ball specialist, especially in the shorter format but the left-arm pacer didn’t perform to his expectations.

He was bought for a huge sum of INR 17 crore by RCB during the 2017 IPL auctions. He claimed 5 wickets in 5 IPL games that season. Since then, Mills hasn’t been bought by any IPL franchise. For England, he claimed just 3 wickets in 4 T20Is.

2. Chris Morris-Rajasthan Royals -16.25 crores 2022 season

The former South African all-rounder was picked up for a record-breaking bid that season for a sum of INR 16.25 crores thus making him the most expensive South African player in the history of IPL.

His bid came as a huge surprise as the 36-year-old hadn’t played for the national side since the middle of 2019 and hadn’t played all matches in any IPL season before. Although he managed to perform reasonably well claiming 15 wickets that season and also scoring a crucial 36 unbeaten in 18 balls against Delhi Capitals.

See also: https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-analysis/ipl-2024-top-5-league-stage-matches-of-ipl-2024

3. Jaydev Unadkat-Rajasthan Royals-11.25 crores 2018 season

Rajasthan Royals owners went all out to add the left-arm pacer to their dugout. The 34-year-old performed well claiming 24 wickets in 12 IPL games during the 2017 season for Rising Pune Supergiants although he was picked for just INR 30 lakhs that season.

His performances helped him get an attractive price when Rajasthan Royals bought him for INR 11.25 crores during the 2018 season although he picked 11 wickets in 15 IPL games that season. He was bought for INR 8.4 crores by Rajasthan Royals during the 2019 season and in 2020 he was paid INR 3 crores by the franchise.

4. Pawan Negi-8.4 crores Delhi Daredevils-2016 Season

Arguably one of the most shocking bids in the history of the tournament. The left-arm off-spinner was picked for a huge sum of INR 8.4 crores although the 31-year-old had claimed just 7 wickets in the previous four IPL seasons.

Negi took just 1 wicket in 8 IPL matches during the 2016 season as he couldn’t perform to the reputation of his price tag.

5. Varun Chakravarthy- 8.4 crores-Punjab Kings-2019 season

The 32-year-old Tamil Nadu leg spinner’s bid shocked the entire cricketing circuit when he was bought for a sum of INR 8.4 crores by Punjab Kings during the 2019 auctions.

Varun Chakravarthy had played just one first-class match and a few List-A games before that. The 32-year-old played just one game during the 2019 IPL season with figures of 35/1.