IPL 2025: New rule caps foreign players’ salaries based on Indian bids

A major change in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction and retention rules is set to impact foreign players’ salaries. The new regulation links the pay of overseas players to the highest bids received for Indian players, aiming to establish a balanced pay structure that keeps Indian cricketers at the center of the league’s financial system.

Foreign Salaries Tied to Indian Bids
Under the new rule, the highest bid received by an Indian player during the 2025 IPL auction will cap the maximum salary any overseas player can earn in the 2026 auction. For example, if an Indian player is bought for INR 16 crore in 2025, no foreign player can be paid more than INR 16 crore in the 2026 auction.

To illustrate, if Rohit Sharma is retained at INR 18 crore and Rishabh Pant secures the highest bid at INR 16 crore in the 2025 auction, the salary cap for foreign players in 2026 will be set at INR 16 crore—the lower of the two amounts. In another case, if Pant is bought for INR 20 crore in the mega auction, the maximum salary for any overseas player will be capped at INR 18 crore, aligning with Sharma’s retention value.

Excess Funds to BCCI
Bidding for foreign players will continue without interruption, but if a winning bid exceeds the set salary cap, the extra amount will be redirected to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI plans to use these additional funds to support player welfare initiatives.

This new pay regulation aims to provide fair compensation to Indian cricketers while creating a balanced salary structure for foreign talent in the IPL.