AI Based Cricket Prediction
Top 5 players and their salary difference from IPL 2008 and 2020
These players started their IPL career with a contract worth a few lakhs. But then, as years passed by, they became the key members of their team with consistent performances.
by Kiran
It’s been 12 years since the Indian Premier League took-off from its base. And it’s been nothing short of an adventurous space trip as various stars, players have lit up the cricketing sky. A few of them have also become giant stars from the dwarf ones.
Some of them are now the marquee players of their respective franchises in IPL 2020. These players started their IPL career with a contract worth a few lakhs. But then, as years passed by, they became the key members of their team with consistent performances.
As a result, the franchises rewarded them in the best possible way. More zeroes were added to their paycheck. In just 12 seasons, they have got a salary hike like the CEOs of the multinational companies which have made them the millionaires of this game.
Here is the list of Top 5 players and their salary difference from IPL 2008 and 2020 :
Note – (Players who are still active in IPL considered. Source– Wikipedia and Insidesport Moneyball)
5. MS Dhoni – 9 crores
At the start of 2007, when the Indian team lost the 50-overs World Cup, they experienced one of the lowest points in their cricketing history. But like the saying, there is hope at the end of every tunnel, MS Dhoni became that ray of hope for the Blue team. He dynamically guided a young Indian unit to an ICC championship in the inaugural T20 World Cup. It changed the sentiment of T20 cricket and led to the emergence of IPL.
With that kind of impact, MSD became the star attraction in the 2008 IPL auctions. As it happened, the Chennai Super Kings splurged 6 crores from their purse to make him part of their franchise. It made him the highest-paid cricketer in the league.
The price tag didn’t deter him as he made CSK the most enviable T20 franchise. Under him, they won two consecutive championships in 2010 and 2011. After that, he was given a raise, and his salary became 12.5 crores in 2014.
His bond with Chennai grew stronger when he was retained again before IPL 2018. That year Yellow Army scripted one of the most remarkable comebacks and won their 3rd title. Dhoni has been always an expensive commodity in the league, and his salary hike has been one of the best in the tournament.
4. AB de Villiers – 9.80 crores
The South African team has given several batting stalwarts to the world cricket, but none better than Ab De Villiers. The right-hander didn’t make a head start in his international career and only stayed around because of his odd brilliance with the bat. Then the 2007 50-overs World Cup proved to be the turning point. In that tournament, ABD played a couple of match-winning knocks.
Suddenly his white-ball prowess became a talking point in the cricketing fraternity. As a result, the Delhi Daredevils decided to place their bets on him in the 2008 IPL buy off. It cost them around 1.2 crores. De Villiers didn’t disappoint them as he became their leading run-getter in the 2009 season.
Still, Delhi didn’t retain him before the mega auctions in 2011. It paved the way for Royal Challengers Bangalore to play their cards. RCB paid over 5.8 crores for his services. As it turned out, it became one of their best investments as he formed the crux of their batting department in the following years.
Then, in the 2014 auctions, RCB renewed his contract. This time his salary got a boost, and it reached 7.5 crores. His Bangalore legacy continued to grow with each passing season. That’s why the franchise held onto him even before the 2018 auctions for a paycheck worth 11 crores. In short, his IPL salary has shot up like stocks in the bull market.
3. Manish Pandey – 10.94 crores
Manish Pandey is a cricketer who looked a star in the making right from his teenage days. The Karnataka lad was a part of the 2008 U-19 World Cup-winning team. Though he didn’t score many runs in that tournament, Pandey chipped in with useful contributions down the order. Especially his uncanny ability to score freely made him an exciting talent.
So the Mumbai Indians didn’t waste their time and snapped him up in the inaugural IPL auctions for his base price of 6 lakhs. In the following year, he packed his bags to his home-based franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore for a better deal of 12 lakhs. There he got more opportunities and became the first Indian to score a century in the league.
Thereafter, he also spent a couple of seasons with the now-defunct Pune franchise. By the time of 2014 auctions, Pandey became an established cricketer in the domestic circuit. So the Kolkata Knight Riders signed him up for 1.7 crores. He headed their middle-order, and the result was a second title for KKR.
After spending 4 seasons with KKR Pandey returned to the auction pool in 2018. It proved to be even more fruitful for him as the Sunrisers Hyderabad paid a bountiful amount of 11 crores for his services. In the end, in 12 years, his salary increased by 18000 percent than his first IPL payout.
2. Rohit Sharma – 12.10 crores
It will not be wrong to say that the Indian cricket team found some precious pearls in their 2007 T20 World Cup expedition. One of them has to be India’s current vice-captain in limited-overs cricket, Rohit Sharma. The Mumbaikar showcased his potential throughout the tournament and won his first ICC championship at the age of just 20. Following that, he came into his own in the 2007-08 CB series.
All these performances earned him a worthy reward in the form of an IPL contract. The Hyderabad based franchise, Deccan Chargers shelled out 2.9 crores for him in the inaugural IPL auctions. At the time, some thought his price tag might affect his performances, but Sharma proved every bit of his worth. He scored over 1000 runs in the next three seasons.
However, Chargers went for a complete overhaul and released him before the 2011 IPL. This time the Mumbai Indians cashed in, but they didn’t get him without a tussle. Finally, he became part of the MI Paltan, and for that, he received a whopping amount of 9 crores. It proved to be a masterstroke as he led them to their maiden title in 2013.
Because of his success as a skipper, MI retained him in the 2014 IPL auctions for 12.5 crores. In return, he added two more IPL trophies to their cabinet. After that, his contract renewal was just inevitable before the 2018 IPL. This time the figure rose to 15 crores. So, not only it has been an exponential rise for Rohit, but it is also one of the best salary hikes in all these times.
1. Virat Kohli – 16.88 crores
When India won the 2008 U-19 World Cup, a chubby cheeks cricketer celebrated it like the biggest moment of his career. In his defense, it can happen to any teenager who has just led his country to a world championship. It is none other than Virat Kohli who I am talking about. It seems that the current Indian skipper is destined for big things.
That’s why the Royal Challengers Bangalore also bagged him in the 2008 IPL auctions. Turns out, he is the best buy in their 12-year history. Going back to 2008, the RCB franchise got him for mere 12 lakhs. In the first couple of seasons, the right-hander didn’t put the stage on fire. He struck a solitary fifty to keep things afloat for him.
Then in the 2010 season, Kohli started to flourish as he ended up as the 3rd highest run-getter of the team. It was enough for the Bangalore franchise as he was retained before the 2011 mega IPL auctions. Interestingly he is the only player retained by them in that year. And for that, he received a paycheque of 8.1 crores.
Since then, it has only got better for him. In 2014, RCB again extended his stay at the cost of 12.5 crores. Kohli didn’t get them that elusive championship, but he carried their batting unit on his shoulders. Ultimately, in 2018, he became the highest-paid cricketer in the league when RCB retained him for 17 crores. In simple terms, it has been a salary jump of the highest order.