IPL Auction Process Explained

How the IPL Auction Works

The IPL player auction is held annually (or as a mega-auction every few years when almost all player contracts reset). Teams enter with a purse — a budget determined by the BCCI — and bid against each other for players who have registered for the auction. Each player enters with a base price (set by the player or the BCCI) and the franchises bid in ascending increments until all other franchises stop bidding. The last franchise bidding wins the player at the final bid price.

Retention and RTM Rules

Before the auction, franchises can retain certain players from their previous squad without putting them into the auction pool. Each retained player's cost is deducted from the team's purse. Additionally, the Right to Match (RTM) card allows a team to match the highest bid for a player who was previously with them but released. The number of retentions and RTM cards available varies by auction type — the mega-auction in 2022 allowed each team to retain four players, with additional RTM opportunities. Player retention strategy is one of the most analysed aspects of IPL team building.

Player Categories and Base Prices

Players enter the IPL auction in different price categories depending on their base price: typically from 20 lakh rupees at the entry level to 2 crore at the premium level for established international players. Indian players in the uncapped category (those without international caps) are listed separately. Overseas slots are limited to four per playing eleven, creating an artificial premium for the best international players. The auction regularly produces shock results — unknown domestic players bought for multiples of their base price, and established stars going unsold if franchises judge their price too high.