Sanath Jayasuriya – 6.5 Crores
Sri Lanka batting great Sanath Jayasuriya was one of the most exciting players in the auction pool of the inaugural season. The ‘Matara Mauler’, arguably the best hitter of the ball – known for his antic of gaining the maximum from the opening overs a match – would have been a dream player for any team playing in any condition.
Eventually, after some intense bidding battles, the benefit of having a batsman of his stature went to Mumbai Indians. He was snapped for 6.5 crores and eventually became MI’s most expensive buy that season. Later on, he had a successful season which saw many explosive knocks coming off his blade including a 48-ball 114 runs knock against Chennai Super Kings.