How Does the IPL Auction Process Work?

Lights, camera, auction! The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction has been a defining feature of the cricket competition since its first edition in 2008. Held ahead of each IPL season, player auctions serve as the primary means for franchises to build their preferred teams, showcase tactical acumen, and adjust long-term strategies. The auction process is organized each year by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI; governing body for cricket in India).

Each team is allotted the same fixed budget, either to retain players from their previous squad or to bid for players in the auction. A team is free to split its budget between retention salaries and auction bids, but it must spend more than the designated minimum limit to build its squad each season.

Both Indian and foreign cricketers can be signed through the auction process. Players register for the auction through their respective country’s cricket board (national governing body) and choose their preferred auction base price from among the options provided by the BCCI, which then short-lists players for the auction pool from a longer list of applicants. The auction has expanded in scale over the years, with the pool of eligible players growing from fewer than 80 in 2008 to 350 (240 Indian and 110 overseas) players short-listed from more than 1,350 applicants for the IPL 2026 auction held in December 2025.

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The IPL also periodically organizes mega auctions, usually held once every three years, in which teams must release more players than usual. These auctions provide franchises with opportunities to overhaul their squads more extensively than during regular or mini auctions.

The most expensive signings from each IPL auction are in the table below.