IPL Puts a Lid on Overseas Players' Fees

For the IPL mini auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the IPL Governing Council has introduced a specific pay ceiling for overseas players. Under this guideline, a foreign cricketer’s auction salary cannot cross the lower of two benchmarks: the standard maximum retention amount of ₹18 crore or the highest price paid at the previous mega auction.

Since last year’s mega auction topped out at ₹27 crore — the amount LSG spent on Rishabh Pant — the effective limit for any overseas signing at this mini‑auction is ₹18 crore. Even if bidding races past that figure, the player’s contract will still be capped at ₹18 crore. Any surplus from the winning bid will be diverted to the BCCI and allocated to welfare programmes for players.

This cap was introduced after franchises urged the IPL Governing Council to create a mechanism that prevents foreign players from attracting runaway bids in smaller, mid‑cycle auctions.