Most expensive! Top 5 buys in record-breaking IPL auction mania

International players, the all-rounders in particular, laughed their way to the banks as the franchise owners shelled out millions, without any hesitation, catering to the demands and needs of their teams.It was a great time to be an Englishman as three of the top five biggest buys at the auction were from the birthplace of cricket. The mini-auction saw big names attracting big bucks as the auction process swiveled around all-rounders.Here's a look at 5 most expensive buys at the IPL 2023 auction:

Sam Curran (England)England all-rounder Sam Curran became the most expensive player in the history of IPL auctions as he fetched a whopping Rs 18.5 crore bid from Punjab Kings. Curran returned to Punjab for the staggering sum following a fierce three-way bidding war involving the Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Punjab.

Player of the Tournament in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, Curran, previously represented Punjab in 2019. "Back to where it all started! Looking forward to it," tweeted the 24-year-old.

Curran's price surpassed the previous highest bid of Rs 16.25 crore, paid by the Rajasthan Royals for South African all-rounder Chris Morris in 2021.Cameron Green (Australia)Cameron Green became the most expensive Australian purchase in the IPL auction history in a Rs 17.5 crore payday as Mumbai Indians invested in the future. Green surpassed Pat Cummins, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 15.5 crore in 2020.Green was the second biggest buy of the mini-auction after Sam Curran."I'm pinching myself that this has all happened. It's such a weird feeling watching an auction for yourself. I can't believe how nervous I was and I was shaking like anything when the final call was confirmed. I've always been a