IPL 2025: How Indian Players Will Control Foreign Players’ Salaries in Auctions

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced a major change ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, aiming to make the league more balanced and competitive. Among the key updates is a new rule that directly links the salaries of foreign players to the highest earnings of Indian players.

New Rule for Salary Cap on Foreign Players

One of the standout rules is the salary cap for overseas players in the mini-auction, set to take effect in 2026. The BCCI has limited how much franchises can spend on foreign players, ensuring they don’t out-earn their Indian counterparts. In recent years, there have been instances where international players fetched astronomical sums in the mini-auctions.

For example, in the IPL 2024 auction, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc set a new record, being purchased for a staggering Rs 24.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders. Similarly, Pat Cummins became the second-highest earner when Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for Rs 20.50 crore.

These figures even surpassed Sam Curran, who had held the title of the most expensive recruit in the 2023 auction. These massive deals highlighted a loophole that often saw foreign players earning far more than their Indian counterparts, especially in mini-auctions.

How the Rule Works

Under the new rule, the salary of any overseas player cannot exceed the highest retention value or the most expensive Indian player purchased in the mega auction, whichever is lower. For instance, if Rohit Sharma is retained by Mumbai Indians for INR 18 crore, and Abhishek Sharma becomes the highest-selling Indian player in the auction at INR 16 crore, then foreign players can only be paid up to INR 16 crore in the 2026 mini-auction.

This means if an Indian player is sold for INR 20 crore in 2025, foreign players will not be able to surpass the INR 18 crore mark if that’s the highest retention amount given to Rohit Sharma.

Excess Salary to BCCI’s Welfare Fund

Additionally, the rule states that while bidding for foreign players can continue until they are sold, their final salary must not exceed the cap set by Indian players’ salaries. If an overseas player’s auction price goes higher than this cap, the excess amount won’t go to the player but will instead be directed to the BCCI’s player welfare fund.

This new regulation by the BCCI is expected to curb excessive spending on international stars and level the playing field, ensuring that Indian players are valued equally in terms of pay.

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