How Franchise Cricket Drafts Work: IPL Auction vs BBL vs The Hundred
The different player acquisition systems used by T20 franchise leagues — the IPL's open auction (with retention and RTM rights), the BBL's direct signing model, The Hundred's draft, and the SA20's auction. How salary caps work, what drives player valuations, and the equity vs. efficiency trade-offs between different systems.
The IPL Auction: Cricket's Most Complex Market
The IPL's player acquisition system is the most financially significant and technically complex in cricket. Each season, IPL franchises can retain up to 6 players from their previous squad (with caps on how much retention cost is deducted from the franchise's salary cap — the 2024 mega-auction used specific retention deduction amounts ranging from approximately ₹18 crore for the first retained player down to ₹14 crore for the sixth). Players not retained enter the auction pool, where all 10 franchises bid openly against each other in a live auction environment.
The IPL auction is a real-time ascending auction: franchises bid in open competition, with each bid increment typically ₹5 lakh (approximately USD 6,000). Players with higher base prices (minimum bids set by the BCCI based on player category) attract larger opening bids from multiple franchises. The auction creates dramatic price escalation for high-demand players — uncapped Indian players with extraordinary T20 domestic records have sold for 50-100x their base price. Rinku Singh (base price ₹20 lakh) sold for ₹55 crore in the 2024 mega-auction; Starc went for ₹24.75 crore.
BBL and SA20: Direct Signing Models
The Big Bash League (Australia) uses a direct signing model — franchises approach players directly and negotiate individual contracts within the salary cap framework. There is no open auction; players' values are determined by bilateral negotiation rather than competitive bidding. This model is simpler to administer and prevents the extreme bidding wars of auction formats, but it tends to produce more predictable salary outcomes (well-known brands command premium salaries; lesser-known talents may be underpaid because the market has no mechanism to efficiently discover their value).
The SA20 (South Africa) uses an auction system similar to the IPL but smaller in scale — 6 franchises, a lower salary cap, and fewer rounds. The SA20 auction is notably significant because it directly competes with Australia's BBL and UAE's ILT20 for the same pool of quality overseas players during the December-January window. SA20 franchises are owned by IPL franchises (Mumbai Indians owns MI Cape Town, for example), creating a pipeline where SA20 data informs IPL franchises' knowledge of player quality.
The Hundred's Draft System
The Hundred (England's 100-ball competition, launched 2021) uses a distinctive draft system. Player contracts are categorised into tiers (Diamond — maximum salary, Platinum, Gold, Silver) with all 8 franchises receiving an equal allocation of tier slots. Overseas players sign directly with The Hundred's organising body (the ECB) at their tier rate, then a draft order assigns them to franchises — allowing some degree of franchise preference but ensuring roughly equal access across all 8 teams. This creates more competitive balance than an open auction (no team can concentrate resources on a single player) but less financial efficiency (premium players may be allocated by draft position rather than market value).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Right to Match (RTM) card in IPL?
The Right to Match card is a mechanism allowing a franchise to match the winning bid for a player who was released from their squad and whose auction bidding has concluded. If Franchise A bids ₹10 crore for a player formerly in Franchise B, Franchise B can exercise their RTM card to pay ₹10 crore and retain the player. RTM cards are limited (each franchise gets a specific number per auction cycle) and must be exercised immediately when the bidding closes. The RTM creates a strategic element: franchises bidding for a player must account for the possibility the releasing franchise will RTM.
How is the IPL salary cap structured?
Each IPL franchise has a salary cap (approximately ₹120 crore / USD 14-15 million as of the 2024 season) that covers all domestic and overseas player contracts for the season. Retained players' cap deductions are fixed at predetermined amounts. The remaining cap space is used in the auction for additional players. Franchises that have spent the most on retentions enter the auction with less remaining cap space, which constrains their bidding. Franchises with high remaining cap space can be more aggressive bidders in the auction.
Do overseas players in The Hundred earn the same as Indian players at the IPL?
No — The Hundred's maximum player salary (Diamond tier, as of 2026) is approximately £125,000 for the tournament — significantly less than the IPL's top contracts (which can exceed ₹20 crore / approximately £2 million for a full IPL season). The gap reflects the ECB's different revenue model and salary cap philosophy, and the shorter duration of The Hundred (approximately 3-4 weeks vs IPL's 8-9 weeks). Premium overseas players who participate in both competitions earn The Hundred fees on top of their IPL contracts, making the combined season financially very rewarding.