Fans search for an IPL salary guide because money shapes every auction story. Franchises juggle stars, role players and uncapped bargains. Supporters argue about value, overpays and smart business.
Why an IPL salary guide matters
Every IPL season, the first big drama starts before a ball is bowled. It happens at the auction table. Team owners and analysts discuss budgets, salary caps, and purse balance.
However, most fans only see headlines about record bids. They hear that a bowler went for more than 20 crore. They see that a finisher doubled his price in one year. Yet they do not always know how that money fits inside the wider IPL salary system.
Therefore, an IPL salary guide helps you follow the money as well as the cricket. It sheds light on why specific teams pursue a single superstar, while others choose to distribute their budget across a deeper squad and strategic match-ups. It also enables you to assess whether a player truly provides value for money over the course of an entire season.
IPL salary cap and auction purse explained
From IPL 2025, each franchise works with an auction purse of 120 crore rupees to build its squad. This purse covers the bulk of player salaries from the auction and retentions.
However, the total IPL salary cap is now higher than the pure auction purse. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has added performance-linked pay and match fees on top. For 2025, the total salary cap rises to around 146 crore. It then grows again to 151 crore in 2026 and 157 crore in 2027.
As a result, the IPL salary guide is no longer just about the auction list. You now have to think about three layers: auction price, bonuses and per-match payments. This structure rewards players who perform and stay fit across the whole season.
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IPL salary guide: Match fees and performance pay
Starting with IPL 2025, each player also earns a match fee in addition to their auction or retention amount. Reports suggest this fee is around 7.5 lakh rupees per game, funded from a separate pot of 12.6 crore per franchise.
Consequently, a player who stays in the XI every match can add a strong extra layer to his IPL salary. A squad player who only appears three or four times will not reach the exact total. This system makes selection and fitness even more valuable.
In addition, incremental performance pay can reward milestones. Franchises and the league can use bonuses for runs, wickets, fielding awards or playoff qualification. These numbers vary by contract, but they sit inside the same salary cap framework.
So when you think about an IPL salary guide, always look beyond the headline auction fee. A 10-crore player who plays every game and hits form may out-earn a 14-crore star who misses matches through injury.
Retentions, RTM and long-term deals
Before the auction, each team can keep a core group of players. They can use classic retentions and Right to Match (RTM) options to protect their stars. The exact mix can change by cycle, but for the 2025 mega auction, teams could secure up to six players through retention or RTM.
Because of this, the IPL salary guide must also explain how retained salaries hit the purse. When a team retains a player, a fixed amount is deducted from the auction purse. This figure can exceed the player’s previous salary. It reflects the value of keeping that player off the open market.
Therefore, if a team keeps three or four elite players on big numbers, it has less room to chase fresh stars in the auction. Yet it gains stability and brand value. Fans stay attached to long-term icons, and sponsors like familiar faces.
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IPL Salary Guide: Salary tiers in the IPL
Although every deal is unique, the IPL salary guide usually falls into four clear tiers.
First, you have the mega stars. These are the players who push toward or past the 20-25 crore mark in big auctions. Bowlers like Mitchell Starc and all-format leaders such as Pat Cummins have reached record fees in recent seasons.
Second, you have premium capped players. These are Indian internationals or top overseas names who sit in the mid-to-high single-digit crore range. They often anchor a batting order or lead an attack.
Third, you see solid role players. They cover middle-order hitting, specialist powerplay bowling, spin depth or wicket-keeping cover. Their salaries might range from 50 lakh to three crore.
Finally, you have uncapped and emerging players. Many earn base-level deals of 20 lakh or a little more. However, some young stars explode in value after one breakout season. They move quickly from budget pick to major line item in any IPL salary guide.
How much can a player really earn in one IPL season?
To make this IPL salary guide practical, it helps to walk through a simple example.
Imagine a top-order batter who secures a 14 crore deal at the auction. He then plays 14 league games and two playoff matches. With match fees at around 7.5 lakh per game, he adds roughly 1.2 crore in match payments alone if he appears in every game.
So his total IPL salary for that season could approach 15.2 crore, plus any performance bonuses written into his contract. As a result, his effective earnings per innings become huge.
Now compare that with a young all-rounder on a one crore deal. If he plays every match, his match fees bring his total season income closer to 2.2 crore. If he only appears in half the fixtures, the final figure falls.
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IPL salaries, BCCI contracts and franchise deals
While this article focuses on the IPL salary guide itself, most top Indian players also hold BCCI central contracts. The highest A+ bracket currently pays an annual retainer of around 7 crore, separate from IPL income.
In addition, star players earn match fees for international cricket and pull in big sums from brand endorsements. For some icons, sponsorship income can even overtake on-field salaries.
So, when fans compare IPL player salary numbers to other leagues, they should see them as part of a wider earnings picture. Yet the IPL remains the single biggest domestic cricket pay-day in the world. Audience numbers above 600 million and global broadcast deals keep pushing money into the system.
What the salary cap means for team building
Because the IPL salary cap rises over time, teams have more freedom each cycle. However, they still have to obey strict rules about minimum and maximum squad size. They must also spend at least a set percentage of the cap.
Therefore, smart spending becomes a competitive edge. Some franchises use data to search for undervalued skills. Others trust long-term scouting and coaching relationships.