IPL Players Salary 2026, Auction | IPL Highest Players List
IPL salaries in 2026 range from ₹30 lakh to ₹27 crore for Rishabh Pant, making the Indian Premier League the richest cricket league in the world.
Additionally, every playing member now receives a match fee of ₹7.5 lakh per match, a first of its kind initiative by the BCCI. This guide breaks down every aspect of the IPL 2026 salary structure, from auction prices to team-wise purse allocation, so you have every number one spot.
Highest Paid Players in IPL 2026
Rishabh Pant tops the IPL 2026 salary list at Rs 27 crore, retained by Lucknow Supergiants as captain, wicketkeeper, and batting anchor. Meanwhile, Cameron Green became the most expensive buy of the auction so far at ₹25.20 crore, though his actual payout is capped at ₹18 crore due to the overseas salary cap rule.
| # | Player | Salary | Team | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishabh Pant | ₹27 Crore | LSG | Retention |
| 2 | Shreyas Iyer | ₹26.75 Crore | PBKS | Retention |
| 3 | Cameron Green | ₹25.20 Crore | KKR | Auction |
| 4 | Heinrich Klaasen | ₹23 Crore | SRH | Retention |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | ₹21 Crore | RCB | Retention |
| 6 | Nicholas Pooran | ₹21 Crore | LSG | Retention |
| 7 | Sanju Samson | ₹18 Crore | CSK | Trade |
| 8 | Jasprit Bumrah | ₹18 Crore | MI | Retention |
| 9 | Rashid Khan | ₹18 Crore | GT | Retention |
| 10 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | ₹18 Crore | RR | Retention |
| 11 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | ₹18 Crore | CSK | Retention |
| 12 | Arshdeep Singh | ₹18 Crore | PBKS | Retention |
| 13 | Matheesha Pathirana | ₹18 Crore | KKR | Auction |
| 14 | Yuzvendra Chahal | ₹18 Crore | PBKS | Retention |
| 15 | Axar Patel | ₹16.50 Crore | DC | Retention |
IPL 2026 Most Expensive Player
Cameron Green’s auction bid was ₹25.20 crore, but his actual salary is capped at ₹18 crore due to the overseas player salary cap. The remaining ₹7.20 crore goes to the BCCI’s Player Development Fund.
Notice a pattern? Seven of the top 15 earn exactly ₹18 crore. That’s because ₹18 crore was the highest retention price slab set by the BCCI for IPL 2025-27. As a result, most franchise favourites land at that exact figure.
2026 IPL 10 Most Expensive Players
The IPL 2026 mini-auction took place on 16 December 2025 at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. A total of 77 players were bought from a pool of 369 shortlisted names, with the franchises spending a total of Rs 215.45 crore.
| # | Player | Price | Team | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameron Green | ₹25.20 Cr | KKR | Australia | All-rounder |
| 2 | Matheesha Pathirana | ₹18 Cr | KKR | Sri Lanka | Fast Bowler |
| 3 | Prashant Veer | ₹14.20 Cr | CSK | India | All-rounder |
| 4 | Kartik Sharma | ₹14.20 Cr | CSK | India | WK-Batter |
| 5 | Liam Livingstone | ₹13 Cr | SRH | England | All-rounder |
| 6 | Mustafizur Rahman | ₹9.20 Cr | KKR | Bangladesh | Fast Bowler |
| 7 | Josh Inglis | ₹8.60 Cr | LSG | Australia | WK-Batter |
| 8 | Auqib Nabi Dar | ₹8.40 Cr | DC | India | Fast Bowler |
| 9 | Ravi Bishnoi | ₹7.20 Cr | RR | India | Leg-spinner |
| 10 | Jason Holder | ₹7 Cr | GT | West Indies | All-rounder |
Highest Paid Player from Each Team IPL 2026
Each franchise’s salary distribution varies. Some teams invested heavily in a marquee player, while others spread the wealth more evenly. Here are the highest-paid players from each of the 10 IPL teams in 2026.
| Team | Player | Salary | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSG | Rishabh Pant | ₹27 Crore | WK-Batter / Captain |
| PBKS | Shreyas Iyer | ₹26.75 Crore | Batter / Captain |
| KKR | Cameron Green | ₹25.20 Crore* | All-rounder |
| SRH | Heinrich Klaasen | ₹23 Crore | WK-Batter |
| RCB | Virat Kohli | ₹21 Crore | Batter |
| CSK | Ruturaj Gaikwad / Sanju Samson | ₹18 Crore | Batter / WK-Batter |
| MI | Jasprit Bumrah | ₹18 Crore | Fast Bowler |
| GT | Rashid Khan | ₹18 Crore | Leg-spinner |
| RR | Yashasvi Jaiswal | ₹18 Crore | Batter |
| DC | Axar Patel | ₹16.50 Crore | All-rounder / Captain |
Most Expensive Players in IPL Auction History| All-Time Records
IPL auctions have a long history of bidding. Here are the 10 most expensive players in IPL auction history, updated to include the 2026 mini auction.
| # | Player | Price | Year | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishabh Pant | ₹27 Crore | 2025 | LSG | India |
| 2 | Shreyas Iyer | ₹26.75 Crore | 2025 | PBKS | India |
| 3 | Cameron Green | ₹25.20 Crore | 2026 | KKR | Australia |
| 4 | Mitchell Starc | ₹24.75 Crore | 2024 | KKR | Australia |
| 5 | Heinrich Klaasen | ₹23 Crore | 2025 | SRH | South Africa |
| 6 | Virat Kohli | ₹21 Crore | 2025 | RCB | India |
| 7 | Pat Cummins | ₹20.50 Crore | 2025 | SRH | Australia |
| 8 | Nicholas Pooran | ₹21 Crore | 2025 | LSG | West Indies |
| 9 | KL Rahul | ₹14 Crore | 2025 | DC | India |
| 10 | Matheesha Pathirana | ₹18 Crore | 2026 | KKR | Sri Lanka |
