The Rajasthan Royals (RR), champions of the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) 2008, lifted the trophy under the leadership of Shane Warne, with key
contributions from Sohail Tanvir, Yusuf Pathan, and Albie Morkel. Since then, RR have had a mixed journey in the tournament, finishing as runners-up in IPL 2022, making it to the playoffs a few times, while in several other seasons, they ended their campaign in the group stage.
Despite their historic start, the Jaipur-based franchise has struggled to replicate the glory of their maiden title win but have still showcased flashes of brilliance in many encounters. Notably, RR did not participate in the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to suspension.
Over the years, they have made headlines in various IPL auctions, with some bold and surprising picks. Recently, in the IPL 2025 auction, they grabbed attention by signing Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 13-year-old prodigy who impressed everyone with his performances on the field.
Throughout their IPL history, RR have featured several big names, from Rahul Dravid and Ben Stokes in the past to Sanju Samson, who currently leads the side. While the franchise might not always have had a single marquee face to represent them consistently, they have often managed to surprise opponents and fans alike with their tactical brilliance and fearless performances.
Here is the complete table of Rajasthan Royals' most expensive players in each IPL auction season
|
Year |
Players |
Price (in INR) |
| 2008 | Mohammad Kaif | 2.5 crore |
| 2009 | Tyron Henderson | 6.5 crore |
| 2010 | Shaun Tait | 2.2 crore |
| 2011 | Johan Botha & Ross Taylor | 4.6 crore |
| 2012 | Johan Botha | 4.5 crore |
| 2013 | James Faulkner | 4 crore |
| 2014 | Steven Smith | 4 crore |
| 2015 | Karun Nair & Sanju Samson | 4 crore |
| 2018 | Ben Stokes | 12.5 crore |
| 2019 | Jaydev Unadkat | 8.4 crore |
| 2020 | Ankit Rajpoot | 3 crore |
| 2021 | Chris Morris | 16.25 crore |
| 2022 | Prasidh Krishna | 10 crore |
| 2023 | Trent Boult | 8 crore |
| 2024 | Avesh Khan | 10 crore |
| 2025 | Jofra Archer | 12.5 crore |
Note:
- The above table lists only those highest-paid players picked in the auction, excluding those retained, traded, or part of the icon players from the 2008 to 2010 seasons.
- IPL auctions from 2008 to 2013 were conducted in USD; hence, the prices have been converted to INR based on the average USD to INR conversion rate of the respective year.
- RR did not participate in the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to suspension.
