Explained: What is overseas players' salary cap introduced for IPL auction

The IPL Governing Council has taken some bold decisions regarding overseas players for the IPL auction ahead of the 2025 season.

On Saturday, September 28, the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council announced the player retention rules for the IPL auction for the 2025 season.

The upcoming auction will be a mega auction for which the franchises can retain up to six players through their own combination of retention and Right To Match (RTM) options – but these six retentions/RTMs can have a maximum of five capped players (Indian and overseas) and a maximum of two uncapped players.

While in its statement, the IPL didn’t mention the sum that would be deducted for these retentions, it has been learned through a report in Cricbuzz that the highest retention slab is INR 18 crore. Franchises can, of course, pay more than that to their first-choice retained player, but that extra amount will be further deducted from their purse.

One of the talking points of the rules for the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction is the BCCI’s strict policies for overseas players. The IPL GC announced any overseas player who doesn’t enter the mega auction will not be allowed to enter the next year’s mini-auction.

There is one more rule that the IPL has reportedly introduced – it was not announced in the release but a report in Cricbuzz has reported it – in which there is a limit on the amount an overseas player will get.

Explained: Overseas players’ salary cap introduced for IPL auction

The maximum contract an overseas player can earn in the 2026 IPL mini-auction will be equal to the highest retention price of INR 18 crores or the highest auction price at the mega auction, whichever is lower.

Explanation: If player X is retained in the highest slab of INR 18 crore and no other player is bought at a higher price than this in the mega auction, then no overseas player can earn more than INR 18 crores in next year’s mini-auction.

Secondly, if player Y is sold for INR 20 crore in this year’s mega auction, then the maximum salary for an overseas player in next year’s mini-auction will be INR 18 crore.

If the costliest buy at IPL 2025 mega auction is 16 crores, then it will be lower than the highest slab of retention (18 crores), if it happens so, an overseas player can earn only 16 crores in the next year’s mini-auction. However, the franchises can bid for them as higher as possible, but the remaining amount will go towards BCCI and will be utilised towards players’ welfare.

Explanation: For example, If Deepak Chahar is bought for 16 crores at the IPL 2025 mega auction and Mitchell Starc gets sold for 20 crores at IPL 2026 mini auction, Starc will receive only 16 crores, while the rest of 4 crores will go to BCCI’s players’ welfare fund.

In the last auction, Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in IPL history as Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for INR 24.75 crore. Starc delivered Man of the Match performances in the Qualifier 1 and the final of IPL 2024.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.