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The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises could face a massive headache ahead of the next mega auction as some of the biggest stars are reportedly demanding huge amounts to continue playing for their current teams.
Interestingly, captaincy is one of the reasons behind the high financial demand. However, this will come into effect from next year’s IPL 2028 mega auction. The upcoming IPL 2027 mini-auction is scheduled to be held in Goa on December 16.
IPL stars demand INR 40 Crore Retention Fee ahead of mega auction
As reported by Cricbuzz, a few top players have reportedly asked for INR 40 crore as their desired retention fee, which could create serious problems for franchises planning their squads.
At least two marquee players have reportedly informed their respective franchises that they are ready to stay only if they receive INR 40 crore. More players could also make similar demands, especially those who believe they can earn much bigger contracts by entering the auction.
There have already been examples of big players rejecting retention offers and entering the IPL auction to earn bigger contracts. Before the 2025 mega auction, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant decided not to continue with their previous teams and entered the auction. Both players attracted massive bids, with Pant getting INR 27 crore and Iyer receiving INR 26.75 crore.
Read Also: Cameron Green in CSK’s sights? R Ashwin shares theory behind blockbuster signing.
INR 40 crore contract could eat up more than 25% of IPL Team's purse
The financial demands of players need to be understood in the context of the total purse available to franchises. Pant's INR 27 crore contract came when teams had a total purse of INR 120 crore. However, the purse has increased to INR 130 crore for the 2027 season and could reach around INR 150 crore for the next mega auction in 2028.
If the purse reaches INR 150 crore, a single INR 40 crore contract would take more than 25 per cent of a team's total budget. This would be a huge investment in one player, particularly for franchises that also want to retain several other big names.
IPL Auction purse set for massive jump from INR 130 Crore to INR 150 Crore ahead of Mega Auction
The IPL auction purse has increased significantly since the tournament started in 2008. During the inaugural season, each franchise had only INR 20 crore to build its squad.
Over the years, the amount continued to increase, reaching INR 60 crore in 2014, INR 80 crore in 2018, INR 90 crore in 2022 and INR 120 crore in 2025.
For the 2027 season, the total purse has increased to INR 130 crore. Going by the previous pattern, it could rise to around INR 150 crore for the next mega auction. The auction purse is traditionally linked to the value of the IPL's media rights.
With the next media rights cycle expected to go on sale next year, another increase in the total purse is on the cards. Read Also: Sourav Ganguly confirms DC’s interest in Jake Fraser-McGurk and Shai Hope ahead of IPL 2027 auction.
BCCI retention rules could play key role in IPL 2028 Mega Auction
Another important factor will be the retention rules announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). During the previous mega auction, the prescribed retention slabs were INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore, and INR 11 crore. However, franchises were allowed to pay players more than these amounts by declaring the actual salaries.
Heinrich Klaasen received INR 23 crore, while Nicholas Pooran was paid INR 21 crore through retention. Under the previous rules, a franchise retaining five players had INR 75 crore deducted from its total purse, irrespective of the individual amounts paid to those players.
However, if the combined retention amount was higher than INR 75 crore, the actual amount was deducted. If it was lower, the deduction remained INR 75 crore.
Why IPL can not remove the Retention System
Ahead of the previous mega auction, there was also a suggestion to remove the retention system completely and allow franchises to use only the Right to Match (RTM) option. This would allow teams to match the highest auction bid for a player instead of directly retaining him before the auction.
But this idea has a problem, as franchises could increase bidding prices during the auction if they knew another team had an RTM option. This could push player prices even higher instead of showing their actual market value. The retention system couldn’t also be removed because it has been an important part of the IPL auction structure since the league started.
