Overview
- Overseas cricketers will receive no more than INR 18 crore from Tuesday's IPL 2026 mini-auction regardless of how high the bidding climbs.
- If a bid exceeds the cap, the player still earns INR 18 crore and the excess is redirected to the BCCI’s player welfare fund, yet the team’s purse is debited for the full amount.
- The restriction applies only to foreign players, as Indian players remain eligible to receive the full value of any winning bid.
- The ceiling was introduced before the 2025 mega auction and has been extended to cover mini auctions in the current cycle.
- Kolkata Knight Riders enter with the largest purse at about INR 64.3 crore, with Chennai Super Kings at roughly INR 43.6 crore, shaping potential bidding wars under the cap.