The IPL auction is one of the most dramatic events in world cricket — where fortunes change in seconds and franchises spend crores in the blink of an eye. But how does it actually work? From retention deadlines and base prices to the RTM card and the difference between mega and mini auctions, this complete guide breaks down everything you need to know about how the IPL auction works — in plain, simple language.
What Is the IPL Auction?
The IPL (Indian Premier League) auction is the official player selection event where the 10 franchise teams bid for cricketers to build their squads for the upcoming season. It is organised by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the IPL Governing Council.
Unlike a traditional sports draft where teams simply pick players in order, the IPL auction is an open, real-time bidding war. Multiple franchises compete simultaneously, driving prices higher until only one team remains willing to pay. A player's contract value is determined entirely by market demand in that room — making it one of the most unpredictable and exciting events in world cricket.
The auction draws fans, analysts, and media from around the world. It's not just a squad-building exercise — it's a statement of intent, a test of franchise strategy, and a moment that can define an entire season before a single ball is bowled.
IPL Auction 2026 — Key Facts at a Glance
Step-by-Step: How the IPL Auction Works
The IPL auction process is not just one day of bidding. It's a months-long exercise involving registrations, retentions, trades, and careful squad planning. Here's the complete journey from start to finish:
Cricketers from India and overseas who want to participate in the IPL register with the BCCI. Players set their own base price (the minimum amount a team must bid to enter the auction for them). For IPL 2026, 1,390 players registered. The BCCI then shortlists them — in 2026, 359 players were shortlisted from this pool.
Before the auction, each franchise must decide which players to keep (retain) and which to release into the auction pool. For IPL 2026, the deadline was November 15, 2025. The salaries of retained players are immediately deducted from the franchise's auction purse. Teams may also use trade deals during this phase to swap players with other franchises.
Once retentions are confirmed, the BCCI calculates each team's remaining auction purse. In 2026, teams started with ₹125 crore total and had the retained players' salaries deducted. KKR entered the 2026 auction with the largest remaining purse of ₹64.3 crore, while Mumbai Indians had just ₹2.75 crore left after retaining their squad core.
On auction day, players are called up to the podium in category groups — first capped players (batters, all-rounders, wicketkeeper-batters, pace bowlers, spin bowlers), then uncapped players. The auctioneer announces each player and their base price. Any franchise that wants the player raises their paddle to open bidding.
Once bidding opens, teams raise their paddles or use their electronic bidding systems to increase the price in fixed increments (see the Bidding Increments table below). Any number of teams can bid. The price climbs until all teams but one drop out. The last team standing wins the player at the final bid price.
In mega auctions, a franchise that previously had a player can use a Right to Match (RTM) card after the bidding closes — matching the highest bid to reclaim the player. This is NOT available in mini auctions like IPL 2026. Once a player is sold, the deal is final unless RTM rules apply.
After the main auction rounds, any player who went unsold gets a second chance in the accelerated round — a faster-paced session where teams can request specific unsold players to be re-auctioned. Teams move quickly and bids are shorter. This helps ensure rosters are completed and talented players don't go unnoticed.
Each team must end the auction with a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 25. Once the auction closes, squad lists are locked and submitted to the BCCI. Any remaining unsold players who weren't picked can still enter the pool as injury replacements during the season.
Player Retention Rules Explained
Retention is the process by which a franchise keeps certain players from the previous season's squad without putting them into the auction. It is one of the most strategically important decisions each franchise makes.
Retention in Mini Auctions (Annual)
In a mini auction year (like IPL 2026), teams can retain as many players as they like — most of the squad stays intact, and only a small number of slots are filled through the auction. There is no fixed cap on how many players can be retained in a mini auction, but each retained player's salary is deducted from the purse before the auction begins.
Retention in Mega Auctions (Every 3–4 Years)
Mega auction retention rules are far stricter. In the IPL 2025 mega auction, franchises could retain a maximum of six players — up to five capped players (Indian or overseas) and up to two uncapped Indian players. The salary slabs for retained players in a mega auction are predetermined by the BCCI and deducted from the team's purse.
| Retention Slot | Salary Deducted (₹ Cr) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Capped Retention | 18.00 | Highest slab |
| 2nd Capped Retention | 14.00 | — |
| 3rd Capped Retention | 11.00 | — |
| 4th Capped Retention | 18.00 | Resets to top slab |
| 5th Capped Retention | 14.00 | — |
| Uncapped Indian Player | 4.00 | Max 2 per team |
In the 2025 mega auction, if a team retained all six players pre-auction, they had no RTM cards left to use during bidding. Teams with fewer retentions received RTM cards equal to the gap between their retentions and the maximum (six). This forced every franchise to make a crucial trade-off.
What Is a Base Price in the IPL Auction?
The base price is the minimum bid amount set by the player themselves when registering for the auction. No team can bid below this amount — it's the floor price for that cricketer. Players set their own base price based on their experience, form, and market reputation.
The Bidding Process — How It Actually Works in the Room
The auctioneer announces a player and their base price. The big screens in the auction hall display the player's photo, nationality, role, and stats. Teams with interest raise their electronic paddles. Here's what happens as the price climbs:
Bidding Increments
Bids don't go up in random amounts — there are fixed increment rules to keep the process structured and competitive:
| Current Bid Range | Increment Per Bid |
|---|---|
| Up to ₹1 crore | ₹5 lakh per step |
| ₹1 crore – ₹2 crore | ₹10 lakh per step |
| ₹2 crore – ₹5 crore | ₹20 lakh per step |
| Above ₹5 crore | ₹25 lakh per step |
The New Tiebreaker Rule (IPL 2026)
In 2026, the BCCI introduced a brand-new rule for situations where two or more teams are tied and neither can outbid the other (due to purse constraints). In such cases, a silent, closed-door tiebreak bid is conducted — each tied franchise submits a written amount they're willing to pay the BCCI (not the player, and not deducted from the salary cap) to secure the player. The highest silent bid wins the tiebreak. If there's still a tie, the process repeats.
If a franchise runs out of money mid-auction, they cannot bid on further players — even if they desperately need them. Teams that overpay early may find themselves unable to fill essential squad roles later. This is why every franchise has a dedicated analytics team that pre-sets bidding limits for each player before the auction even begins.
The Right to Match (RTM) Card — Fully Explained
🃏 What Is the RTM Card?
The Right to Match (RTM) card allows a franchise to reclaim a player they released into the auction — by matching the highest bid made by another team once the bidding ends. It's essentially a safety net: even if you released a player, you still have one last chance to get them back.
Example: CSK released Ruturaj Gaikwad into the auction. Delhi Capitals win the bidding at ₹20 crore. If CSK holds an RTM card, they can match ₹20 crore to take Gaikwad back. Under the 2025 modified rules, DC then gets one more chance to raise their bid — and CSK must match again or lose the player permanently.
Important: RTM cards are only available in mega auctions. They were NOT available in the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Teams that retained fewer players received more RTM cards (up to a total of 6 retentions + RTMs combined in mega auctions).
History of the RTM Rule
Mega Auction vs Mini Auction — What's the Difference?
This is one of the most commonly searched questions about the IPL auction. The two formats serve very different purposes and operate under different rules:
| Feature | 🔴 Mega Auction | 🔵 Mini Auction |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Every 3–4 years | Annual (non-mega years) |
| Player Pool Size | Huge (500+ players) | Smaller (150–360 players) |
| Maximum Retentions | Up to 6 players | Most of squad retained |
| RTM Cards | ✔ Available | ✘ Not Available |
| Slots to Fill | High (18–25 per team) | Low (few gaps per team) |
| Duration | 2 days | 1 day |
| Squad Reset Level | Near-complete rebuild | Surgical upgrades only |
| Last Held | 2025 (Jeddah) | 2026 (Abu Dhabi) |
| Total Spend (Approx.) | ₹639 Cr (2025) | ₹215 Cr (2026) |
Mega Auction History
IPL mega auctions have been held in 2008 (inaugural), 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2025. Each mega auction essentially resets the league, ensuring no single franchise dominates year after year by hoarding the best talent. The next mega auction is expected around 2028.
Overseas Player Rules in the IPL Auction
An Indian player who hasn't played international cricket or held a BCCI central contract in the last five calendar years can be categorised as an "uncapped" player — even if they were previously capped. This rule was revived by the BCCI for the 2025 cycle. It opens the door for experienced domestic players (and theoretically retired internationals) to enter at lower base prices — and potentially get snapped up as bargain buys.
The IPL Trade Window — Explained
Before every auction, the BCCI opens a pre-auction trade window during which franchises can swap players with each other. Trades can involve cash, players, or a combination of both. This allows teams to reshape their squads strategically before the formal bidding begins.
For IPL 2026, a total of 10 players were traded during the pre-auction window. The most significant trades included Sanju Samson moving from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings, with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran going the other way. Other notable moves included Mohammed Shami (SRH to LSG), Shardul Thakur (LSG to MI), and Sherfane Rutherford (GT to MI). The trade window typically closes about one week before the auction date.
What Happens to Unsold Players?
Not every registered player gets sold in the auction. Here's what happens when a player goes unsold:
After the main auction rounds, any unsold player gets a second chance in the accelerated (rapid-fire) round. Teams can request specific unsold players to be re-listed for bidding.
If a player remains unsold after the accelerated round, they still have a chance to play. During the season, if a team has an injured player, they must choose a replacement from the original auction pool — and an unsold player can be picked at any time during this process.
A replacement player's salary cannot exceed the salary of the injured player they're replacing. This prevents teams from using the replacement rule as a backdoor to sign expensive players they missed in the auction.
How Teams Plan Their IPL Auction Strategy
What looks like a chaotic bidding war from the outside is actually a highly calculated operation. Here's what goes on behind the scenes before and during the auction:
Pre-Auction Analytics
Every IPL franchise employs scouts, analysts, and data scientists who spend months evaluating every registered player. Teams build detailed profiles covering performance metrics, fitness history, T20 format suitability, and how a player fits specific tactical roles in their system. Each franchise enters the auction with a tiered target list: primary targets, backup options, and wildcard picks.
Purse Budgeting
Teams set strict budget limits for each player before bidding begins. Most franchises pre-set a maximum bid for every target — if the price goes above that limit, they drop out. The challenge is knowing when to bend that rule for a truly irreplaceable player, and when to walk away and find a more affordable alternative.
Role-Based Squad Building
Smart teams don't just chase the biggest names — they build squads for balance. A typical squad needs openers, middle-order batters, an aggressive finisher, a wicketkeeper, pace bowlers (powerplay and death-over specialists), a spin option, and all-rounders. The toughest decisions come when the budget runs low and a team still needs to fill two or three roles.
Dummy Bidding (Driving Up Rivals' Costs)
One of the more controversial tactics in the IPL auction: teams sometimes bid on players they don't actually want — simply to force a rival franchise to spend more. If CSK needs Sanju Samson and RCB knows it, RCB might push the bidding higher purely to drain CSK's purse, even if they have no intention of signing Samson themselves. It's cricket's version of poker.
Frequently Asked Questions About the IPL Auction
How does the IPL auction work in simple terms?
What is the difference between a mega auction and a mini auction?
What is the RTM card in IPL?
How many players can a team retain in the IPL?
How many overseas players can be in an IPL team?
What happens if a player goes unsold at the IPL auction?
What is the base price in the IPL auction?
What is the IPL auction purse or salary cap?
Can teams trade players in the IPL?
Final Thoughts
The IPL auction is far more than a shopping event — it's a chess match played at breakneck speed with crores of rupees on the line. From the months of scouting and retention strategy, to the split-second decisions in the auction hall, every move is calculated and every rupee counts.
Understanding the auction process gives you a much richer appreciation of IPL cricket. When you see a team overpay for a player, you understand the risk they've taken. When a franchise passes on a big name, you understand the purse management behind that decision. And when a ₹30 lakh uncapped player suddenly goes for ₹14 crore, you understand just how explosive and unpredictable this market can be.
The next mega auction is expected around 2028 — and with salary caps set to rise to ₹157 crore per team by 2027, the records we see today may well be broken again. Watch this space.
📌 Bookmark this guide — we'll keep it updated as IPL auction rules evolve each season.
