Saying that the Indian Premier League is the largest cricket tournament ever played would not be wrong. Every cricketer hopes to play in this league at least once in his career. The level of competition in this competition is exceptionally high due to the participation of renowned and influential players.
A player might also have another motivation for wanting to play in the IPL. It is the financial aspect of it. The IPL offers cricketers a contract with the highest payout, surpassing even the salaries provided by cricket boards. The IPL franchise placed several record-breaking bids during the auction held in advance of the 16th season. Sam Curran, an English all-rounder, became the most expensive player in IPL history after the Punjab Kings offered him a record-breaking contract of INR 18.5 crore.
The most expensive players included Harry Brook (INR 13.25 crore to SRH), Nicholas Pooran (INR 16 crore to LSG), Ben Stokes (INR 16.25 crore to CSK), Cameron Green (INR 17.5 crore to MI), and Ben Stokes (INR 16.25 crore to CSK). While some of them performed well, others did not.
But do you know which player received the highest per-match fees? In this article, we’ll talk about the top five players in the IPL 2023 who earned huge match fees.
1. Ben Stokes – 8.12 Crores (2 Matches):
Ben Stokes, the captain of the English test team, received the highest match fee in the IPL 2023. The all-rounder was the most well-known player when the IPL 2023 auction began. Many teams engaged in a bidding conflict to get him for their team. However, Chennai Super Kings won the auction and acquired him for INR 16.25 crore. However, this decision backfired, as Stokes featured in just two games this season owing to injury and performance issues. It indicates that during the IPL 2023, he made 8.12 crore INR for each match.
2. Shivam Mavi – 6 Crores (0 Matches):
There aren’t many Indian pacers who can bowl at 150 km/h. Shivam Mavi, however, most definitely fits in that group. The 25-year-old played for KKR until the 2022 season before being released by the franchise. He made his IPL debut for them in 2018. At the IPL 2023 auction, however, the Gujarat Titans purchased the speedster for INR 6 crore. However, GT didn’t use him at all; instead, he spent the entire season warming the bench and made 6 crore without taking part in any matches.
3. Lockie Ferguson – 3.33 Crores (3 Matches):
Lockie Ferguson – 3.33 Crores (3 Matches): Lockie Ferguson was transferred from Gujarat Titans to Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 10 crore prior to the IPL 2023 auction. In the 16th edition, the Kiwi speedster played three games and took just one wicket at a 12.52 economy rate. He was part of the 2022 GT team that won the IPL. Many people think that the KKR in 2023 underused Ferguson. Only three games were played by the player who bowled the fastest delivery in the IPL 2022 with a speed of 157.3 km/h. Nevertheless, Ferguson played three games and made 10 crore, or 3.33 crore each match.
4. Dewald Brevis – 3 Crores (0 Matches)
Popularly known as “Baby AB,” the talented 20-year-old South African cricketer Dewald Brevis caught everyone’s attention with his impressive batting style and power hitting. Brevis joined the Mumbai Indians, a five-time IPL champion, during the IPL 2022 season. He was signed by MI for a price of INR 3 crore. In his debut season, Brevis played seven matches, scoring 161 runs at a strike rate of 142.48. Although MI retained him for the 16th edition, he did not get a chance to play any games. Despite not playing, Brevis earned INR 3 crore during the IPL 2023.
5. R Sai Kishore – 3 Crores (0 Matches)
R Sai Kishore, a left-arm orthodox spinner who is from Chennai, was selected by the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 for a price of INR 3 crore. The Southpaw took six wickets at an economy rate of 7.56 in five games for GT. Although Gujarat retained him, he didn’t get a chance to play in even one game this year. As a result, he received 3 crore for nothing more than warming the bench in the 16th edition.
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