INR 40 crore retention demands loom ahead of next year's IPL mega auction
With the overall purse expected to rise to around INR 150 crore for the next mega auction, franchises could face fresh challenges in retaining their marquee players
Trade discussions ahead of next month's mini auction have not been straightforward, and franchises could face a bigger challenge when they turn their attention to the next cycle of the IPL and next year's mega auction. Retaining some of their marquee players may prove difficult, with a few players believed to have already set considerably higher financial terms for staying on.
Cricbuzz understands that some of the top-tier players in the IPL have quoted INR 40 crore as their desired retention fee. At least a couple of players are believed to have conveyed to their respective franchises that they would be willing to stay on only if they are paid that amount. More players could follow suit, particularly those who believe they stand to secure bigger contracts by entering the auction.
There is precedent for players opting out of retention and testing the auction market. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant both went into the 2025 mega auction after refusing to be retained by their then teams and secured contracts worth INR 26.75 crore and INR 27 crore respectively. In at least one of the current cases, the financial demand is also understood to be linked to the captaincy.
The figures, however, need to be viewed in the context of the overall purse available to franchises. Pant's INR 27 crore contract came when the total purse stood at INR 120 crore. For next year's mega auction, the purse is expected to increase to around INR 150 crore, going by the pattern of periodic revisions. At that level, an INR 40 crore contract would account for a little over a quarter of a franchise's total purse. While that would still be a substantial commitment, the increase in the overall purse is an important part of the equation.
For franchises with multiple marquee players to retain, accommodating such demands could be difficult. The eventual numbers will depend, among other things, on the purse available for the mega auction. Although no formal discussions have taken place on the matter yet, the purse is expected to be around INR 150 crore next year.
The overall purse has increased significantly since the league's inaugural season in 2008, when franchises had a total of INR 20 crore at their disposal, a value that has been exceeded by individual player salaries in recent seasons.
The purse rose to INR 60 crore in 2014, INR 80 crore in 2018, INR 90 crore in 2022 and INR 120 crore in 2025. The purse has since increased to INR 130 crore for the 2027 season. Going by the pattern of periodic increases, a further revision to around INR 150 crore for the next mega auction appears likely, although that figure is yet to be discussed or confirmed.
The purse has traditionally been linked to the value of the IPL's media rights, and another increase is expected when the next rights cycle goes on sale next year. The final retention calculations will also depend on the BCCI's retention slabs. For the previous mega auction, the prescribed slabs were INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore and INR 11 crore. However, franchises were allowed to pay players more than the prescribed amounts, provided they declared the actual figures. Heinrich Klaasen, for instance, commanded INR 23 crore, while Nicholas Pooran was paid INR 21 crore.
As per the BCCI's retention rules for the previous mega auction, a franchise retaining five players had INR 75 crore deducted from its overall purse, irrespective of the individual amounts paid to those players. "If the combined amount exceeded INR 75 crore, the actual amount was deducted. If it was lower, the deduction remained INR 75 crore."
Whether an INR 40 crore retention fee is feasible will ultimately depend on the purse structure and the composition of each franchise's squad. Lucknow Super Giants, for instance, had managed their finances in such a way that they could bid up to INR 27 crore for Pant at the 2025 mega auction. Iyer's eventual price was INR 26.75 crore.
With the overall purse likely to be higher for the start of the next cycle, contracts in the INR 40 crore range are not entirely beyond consideration. However, the feasibility of such deals will depend on the retention rules, the number of players a franchise wants to retain and how much of its purse it is prepared to commit to a single player.
