Records have been broken at the player auctions for the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is happening at Kochi.
English all-rounder Sam Curran has emerged as the most-expensive player at the IPL ever. He was picked by Punjab Kings for Rs 18.5 crore within the first hour of bidding. Curran was followed closely by Cameroon Green from Australia, who was picked up by Mumbai Indians for Rs 17.25 crore.
English player Ben Stokes was picked up by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 16.25 crore, while West Indies player Nicholas Pooran went to Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 16 crore.
The top two deals have broken the record for the most-expensive player, held so far by South African player Chris Morris at the 2021 IPL auctions. Morris was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 16.25 crore. Notably, Joe Root and Rilee Rossouw found no takers at this year’s auction.
Earlier, former Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson was sold to 2022 IPL champions Gujarat Titans for a base price of Rs 2 crore. Sunrisers Hyderabad, which started the day with the largest purse among the franchises at Rs 42.25 crore, snapped up Harry Brook for 13.25 crore, and former Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal for 8.25 crore.
Totally, 405 players are part of the IPL 2023 auctions, including 273 Indian players. The total purse with which the 10 teams have gone into bidding stands at Rs 205.6 crore.
Eighty seven slots are available at the auctions, which experts say could contribute to IPL’s 2023 brand value given the aggression displayed by teams so far in terms of bidding.
The brand value of the IPL has already doubled in 2022 versus last year at $8.4 billion, according to Brand Finance, a London-based brand valuation firm. The IPL brand value stood at $4.7 billion in 2021. This was led by the addition of two new teams and the auction of media rights for the 2023-27 media cycle in June, according to Ajimon Francis, MD, Brand Finance India.
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