Updated October 2026 | All stats are as of the end of IPL 2026 (final played 31 May 2026).
Quick answer: the IPL auction is the event where the ten franchises buy players for the coming season. There have been 19 IPL auctions from 2008 to 2026. Six of them were mega auctions (2008, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2025), where squads are largely rebuilt, and the other 13 were mini auctions. The highest price ever paid at any of them is ₹27 crore for Rishabh Pant at the 2025 mega auction.
| IPL auction summary | |
|---|---|
| Auctions held | 19, from 2008 to 2026 (one a year) |
| Mega auctions | 2008, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2025 |
| Mini auctions | The 13 other years, including 2026 |
| Where | 16 in India and three overseas: Dubai (2024), Jeddah (2025) and Abu Dhabi (2026) |
| Currency | US dollars until 2013; Indian rupees from 2014 |
| Record price | ₹27 crore, Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants), 2025 |
IPL Auction: The Headline Numbers
The IPL auction has been held every year since the league began in 2008. The biggest price ever paid is the ₹27 crore Lucknow Super Giants spent on Rishabh Pant at the 2025 mega auction, followed by ₹26.75 crore for Shreyas Iyer (Punjab Kings) at the same event.
Bengaluru has hosted more auctions than any other city, eight in all. Mumbai and Chennai have hosted two each, and Goa, Jaipur, Kolkata and Kochi one each. Since 2024 the auction has been held abroad three years in a row, in Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi. The next auction is a mini auction, which the BCCI secretary has said will be held in Goa in December 2026, which would be the first IPL auction in India since December 2022.
Full Breakdown: Every IPL Auction From 2008 to 2026
Mega auctions are the ones where almost every player goes back into the pool and franchises rebuild their squads, apart from a limited number of retained players. Mini auctions are smaller top-ups held in the years between. The 2014 auction was the third in which franchises had to build largely from scratch, after 2008 and 2011.
The table lists the costliest buy at each auction. For 2008 to 2013 we show names only, because those auctions were priced in US dollars and the rupee figures quoted for them depend on the exchange rate used.
| Auction | City | Type | Costliest buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Mumbai | Mega | MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings) |
| 2009 | Goa | Mini | Kevin Pietersen (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Andrew Flintoff (Chennai Super Kings) |
| 2010 | Mumbai | Mini | Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians) and Shane Bond (Kolkata Knight Riders) |
| 2011 | Bengaluru | Mega | Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders) |
| 2012 | Bengaluru | Mini | Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings) |
| 2013 | Chennai | Mini | Glenn Maxwell (Mumbai Indians) |
| 2014 | Bengaluru | Mega | Yuvraj Singh (Royal Challengers Bangalore), ₹14 crore |
| 2015 | Bengaluru | Mini | Yuvraj Singh (Delhi Daredevils), ₹16 crore |
| 2016 | Bengaluru | Mini | Shane Watson (Royal Challengers Bangalore), ₹9.5 crore |
| 2017 | Bengaluru | Mini | Ben Stokes (Rising Pune Supergiant), ₹14.5 crore |
| 2018 | Bengaluru | Mega | Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals), ₹12.5 crore |
| 2019 | Jaipur | Mini | Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals) and Varun Chakravarthy (Kings XI Punjab), ₹8.4 crore each |
| 2020 | Kolkata | Mini | Pat Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders), ₹15.5 crore |
| 2021 | Chennai | Mini | Chris Morris (Rajasthan Royals), ₹16.25 crore |
| 2022 | Bengaluru | Mega | Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians), ₹15.25 crore |
| 2023 | Kochi | Mini | Sam Curran (Punjab Kings), ₹18.5 crore |
| 2024 | Dubai | Mini | Mitchell Starc (Kolkata Knight Riders), ₹24.75 crore |
| 2025 | Jeddah | Mega | Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants), ₹27 crore |
| 2026 | Abu Dhabi | Mini | Cameron Green (Kolkata Knight Riders), ₹25.20 crore |
Each auction is named for the season it feeds, so the 2025 auction was held ahead of IPL 2025. Teams are named as they were at the time: Delhi Daredevils are now Delhi Capitals, and Kings XI Punjab are now Punjab Kings.
Between 2014 and 2026 the costliest buy was an overseas player at eight of the 13 auctions (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026) and an Indian player at the other five (2014, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2025). Yuvraj Singh and Ben Stokes each topped the list in two auctions in a row.
How the costliest buy has moved year by year
The table below shows how the highest single price has changed from one auction to the next since the league moved to rupees in 2014. The last column is the difference from the previous auction.
| Auction | Costliest buy | Change from previous auction |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ₹14 crore | — |
| 2015 | ₹16 crore | +₹2 crore |
| 2016 | ₹9.5 crore | −₹6.5 crore |
| 2017 | ₹14.5 crore | +₹5 crore |
| 2018 | ₹12.5 crore | −₹2 crore |
| 2019 | ₹8.4 crore | −₹4.1 crore |
| 2020 | ₹15.5 crore | +₹7.1 crore |
| 2021 | ₹16.25 crore | +₹0.75 crore |
| 2022 | ₹15.25 crore | −₹1 crore |
| 2023 | ₹18.5 crore | +₹3.25 crore |
| 2024 | ₹24.75 crore | +₹6.25 crore |
| 2025 | ₹27 crore | +₹2.25 crore |
| 2026 | ₹25.20 crore | −₹1.8 crore |
Three things stand out. The top price rose at seven of the 12 auctions since 2014 and fell at five, so the climb has not been steady. The lowest top price was ₹8.4 crore in 2019 and the highest was ₹27 crore in 2025. And the top price has been ₹15 crore or more at eight of the 13 auctions, including the last three, when it was ₹20 crore or more each time.
How the IPL Auction Has Changed Since 2008
- The currency changed. Auctions were priced in US dollars until 2013. From 2014 they have been in Indian rupees.
- The purse has grown. At the three most recent mega auctions each team started with ₹80 crore (2018), ₹90 crore (2022) and ₹120 crore (2025).
- The rules on keeping players have moved. Up to five players could be kept in 2018 (retentions and Right to Match cards together), up to four in 2022, and up to six in 2025. The Right to Match card was first used at the 2014 mega auction, used again in 2018, dropped for 2022 and brought back for 2025.
- The league grew. Two new franchises joined for 2022, taking the league back to ten teams, a size it last had in 2011.
- The venue moved abroad. The first 16 auctions were all held in India. Since 2024 they have been held in Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi.
- A salary cap for overseas players arrived for 2026. Under the BCCI’s rule for overseas players at mini auctions, Cameron Green’s fee is capped at ₹18 crore and the rest of his ₹25.20 crore bid (₹7.20 crore) is deposited with the BCCI for player welfare, although the buying team’s purse was charged the full amount.
| Mega auction | Purse per team | Players a team could keep | Costliest buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 (Bengaluru) | ₹80 crore | Up to five, including Right to Match cards | Ben Stokes, ₹12.5 crore |
| 2022 (Bengaluru) | ₹90 crore | Up to four, no Right to Match | Ishan Kishan, ₹15.25 crore |
| 2025 (Jeddah) | ₹120 crore | Up to six, including Right to Match cards | Rishabh Pant, ₹27 crore |
At a mini auction there is no limit on how many players a team keeps. The rules on keeping players are explained in more detail in our IPL rules explained section.
Franchise-by-Franchise Comparison
One way to compare franchises is by how often they have paid the auction’s highest price. These counts cover the 13 auctions from 2014 to 2026, where the prices are confirmed. A tie counts for both teams, so the total is 14.
| Franchise | Times it bought the costliest player | Auctions |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 3 | 2020, 2024, 2026 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 3 | 2018, 2019, 2021 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 2 | 2014, 2016 |
| Punjab Kings | 2 | 2019, 2023 |
| Delhi Capitals | 1 | 2015 |
| Rising Pune Supergiant (no longer in the league) | 1 | 2017 |
| Mumbai Indians | 1 | 2022 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 1 | 2025 |
A second view is the ten highest prices ever paid, which are shared between just four franchises.
| Franchise | Players in the all-time top 10 | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 4 | Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Venkatesh Iyer, Matheesha Pathirana |
| Punjab Kings | 4 | Shreyas Iyer, Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 1 | Rishabh Pant |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 1 | Pat Cummins |
Kolkata Knight Riders hold the biggest overseas buys; see our IPL 2024 season review for how the Starc signing worked out. For every franchise’s record, see the IPL teams guide.
A different comparison is where the auctions were held.
| City | Auctions hosted | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | 8 | 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 |
| Mumbai | 2 | 2008, 2010 |
| Chennai | 2 | 2013, 2021 |
| Goa | 1 | 2009 |
| Jaipur | 1 | 2019 |
| Kolkata | 1 | 2020 |
| Kochi | 1 | 2023 |
| Dubai | 1 | 2024 |
| Jeddah | 1 | 2025 |
| Abu Dhabi | 1 | 2026 |
What Drives the Numbers Up or Down
The clearest effect is the purse. Comparing the top bid with the money each team started with, at the three most recent mega auctions:
| Mega auction | Purse per team | Top bid | Top bid as a share of the purse |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | ₹80 crore | ₹12.5 crore (Ben Stokes) | 15.6% |
| 2022 | ₹90 crore | ₹15.25 crore (Ishan Kishan) | 16.9% |
| 2025 | ₹120 crore | ₹27 crore (Rishabh Pant) | 22.5% |
- The size of the purse. The top bid has grown faster than the purse. It more than doubled between 2018 and 2025 (₹12.5 crore to ₹27 crore), while the purse grew by 50 per cent.
- Mega versus mini. The two highest bids in history, Pant at ₹27 crore and Shreyas Iyer at ₹26.75 crore, both came at the 2025 mega auction.
- Bidding wars. One team with money and a need is enough to lift a price. Chennai and Kolkata bid against each other for Green in 2026.
- Retention. A player who is retained never reaches the auction, so some of the biggest names are not available at all.
- Salary rules. The overseas fee cap for 2026 means a foreign player’s fee can be lower than the winning bid.
A worked example: what ₹27 crore means at the 2025 auction
It is easier to judge a big price against the purse than in isolation. Using the 2025 mega auction, where every team started with ₹120 crore:
- Start with the purse: ₹120 crore per team.
- Rishabh Pant: ₹27 crore is 22.5 per cent of that purse.
- Shreyas Iyer: ₹26.75 crore is 22.3 per cent of the purse.
- Add the two together: ₹53.75 crore, or 44.8 per cent of one team’s purse, although two different teams bought them.
- Stretch it to a squad: four players at Pant’s price would cost ₹108 crore, and a fifth would take the total to ₹135 crore, more than the whole purse.
A team that spent heavily on a few stars would still have to fill a squad of at least 18 players, so very large bids always come with trade-offs elsewhere in the squad.
How the IPL Compares With Other Global Leagues
South Africa’s SA20, like the IPL, fills squads through an auction rather than a draft. The Pakistan Super League used a draft from its start in 2016 until 2025 and held its first player auction for the 2026 season, on 11 February 2026 in Lahore. Each PSL franchise could keep up to four players for that auction, and the league dropped its right-to-match option.
For the biggest numbers in league history, see the IPL records page.
Related guides: how the IPL auction works, IPL retention rules, most expensive IPL auction buys, all auction and business guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do teams have at the IPL auction?
At the 2025 mega auction each team had a purse of ₹120 crore, up from ₹90 crore at the 2022 mega auction and ₹80 crore at the 2018 mega auction. Teams that retain players have part of the purse deducted before the auction starts, and a team must spend at least 75 per cent of its available purse.
Has this changed recently?
Yes. The auction has been held overseas three years in a row (Dubai in 2024, Jeddah in 2025 and Abu Dhabi in 2026), the Right to Match card returned at the 2025 mega auction, and a fee cap for overseas players applied at the 2026 mini auction. The next auction is a mini auction, which the BCCI secretary has said will be held in Goa in December 2026.
What is the difference between a mega auction and a mini auction?
A mega auction is held every few years and is the one where almost every player goes back into the pool and squads are largely rebuilt. A mini auction is a smaller top-up held in the years between. At a mini auction a team can keep as many players as it likes. There have been six mega auctions (2008, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2025) and 13 mini auctions.
Where was the first IPL auction held?
The first IPL auction was held in Mumbai in 2008. MS Dhoni, bought by Chennai Super Kings, was the costliest buy.