The overseas players’ salary cap in the IPL auction refers to a limit on the total amount that franchises can spend on foreign players in their squads. Introduced to maintain a balance between domestic and international talent, this cap aims to ensure teams invest in local players while also attracting international stars. The specific cap amount varies, and it impacts team strategies, player selection, and overall auction dynamics. By regulating spending, the salary cap ensures financial fairness and promotes the growth of domestic cricket in India.
The IPL Governing Council has made several bold decisions concerning overseas players for the 2025 season’s IPL auction.
The upcoming auction will be a mega auction, where franchises can retain up to six players, utilizing a combination of retention and Right to Match (RTM) options. However, of these six retained players, only five can be capped (either Indian or overseas), and a maximum of two can be uncapped players.
Though the IPL’s official statement did not mention the specific sum to be deducted for these retentions, reports from Cricbuzz suggest that the highest retention amount is INR 18 crore. While franchises can pay more to their top retained player, any excess will be deducted from their auction purse.
A key aspect of the 2025 auction rules is the BCCI’s stringent policy for overseas players. The IPL GC announced that any overseas player who does not participate in the mega auction will be excluded from the next year’s mini-auction.
Explained: Overseas players’ salary cap introduced for IPL auction
Here’s how it works: If Player X is retained at the highest slab of INR 18 crore, and no player in the mega auction is sold for a higher price, the maximum salary for any overseas player in the next year’s mini-auction will also be INR 18 crore.
On the other hand, if Player Y is sold for INR 20 crore in the mega auction, the highest salary for an overseas player in the 2026 mini-auction will still be INR 18 crore, as that is the maximum retention price.
If the highest bid at the IPL 2025 mega auction is INR 16 crore, lower than the INR 18 crore retention cap, then the maximum salary for an overseas player in the 2026 mini-auction will be INR 16 crore. Franchises can still bid higher amounts, but the excess will be redirected to the BCCI’s player welfare fund.
For example, if Deepak Chahar is bought for INR 16 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, and Mitchell Starc is sold for INR 20 crore in the 2026 mini-auction, Starc will receive only INR 16 crore, with the remaining INR 4 crore going to the BCCI’s player welfare fund.
In the previous auction, Mitchell Starc set a record as the most expensive player in IPL history, with Kolkata Knight Riders acquiring him for INR 24.75 crore. Starc was instrumental in KKR’s success, earning Man of the Match honors in both the Qualifier 1 and the final of IPL 2024.