The IPL’s next mega auction may trigger an unprecedented battle between franchises and their biggest stars, with several marquee players reportedly seeking retention fees of up to โน40 crore
The Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction hasn’t taken place, yet the franchises are already bracing for an even bigger challenge next year. The IPL will host the mega auction for the 2028 season, and teams may find it difficult to retain some of their marquee talent, as some players have reportedly begun quoting significantly higher retention fees to continue with their current sides.
The IPL has a distinct auction cycle designed to completely reset team squads and redistribute marquee talents to balance the competitive power across franchises.
The mega auction takes place once every 3-4 years to build teams almost from scratch, while the mini auction is held annually in the intervening years of the cycle, which allows teams to fine-tune their roster and fill the void with their remaining purse value.
Marquee player seeking massive retention prices
According to Cricbuzz, several marquee IPL players have reportedly quoted โน40 crore as their preferred retention fee, with at least a couple of players informing their franchises that they would stay only if their demands were met.
More from FirstcricketMore players are expected to adopt a similar stance, particularly those who believe they could command significantly higher contracts by entering the mega auction.
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant reset the IPL’s salary benchmark when he was acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants for โน27 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. However, a โน40 crore retention fee would take player valuations into uncharted territory, far exceeding anything seen in the league so far.
However, formal discussions regarding retention fees have not yet taken place between the franchises and their players.
Total purse value to increase next year
Currently, the total purse available to an IPL franchise is capped at INR 120 crore, and the amount has increased over the years. Reports added that every IPL team’s purse would be increased to INR 150 crore for the next year’s mega auction.
A โน41 crore retention would still burn a major hole in the teams’ pockets, and it is yet to be seen whether they would agree to the marquee players’ demands.
The IPL 2027 mini auction is scheduled to take place in Goa on December 16, 2026.