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IPL 2026 Squad Cost of All 10 Teams

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The Indian Premier League uses a regulated salary structure that controls how franchises build their squads. Each team receives a fixed auction purse and must assemble a roster within that budget. Retained players and auction purchases together form the official squad cost for the season.

For IPL 2026, every franchise operated with a ₹120 crore auction purse. Teams could sign a maximum of 25 players, including up to 8 overseas cricketers, with only 4 allowed in the playing XI. The league also introduced match fees of ₹7.5 lakh per match, which adds extra income for players who participate regularly during the season.

The IPL 2026 mini-auction took place on 16 December 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Teams entered the auction with different purse balances depending on retention spending earlier in the year. Some franchises had more than ₹60 crore available for bidding, while others entered with only a few crore left after keeping their core players.

IPL 2026 Salary Rules and Squad Limits

IPL finances operate under several rules that apply to all teams.

Category

Limit

Auction purse per team

₹120 crore

Maximum squad size

25 players

Overseas players allowed

8

Overseas players in the playing XI

4

Match fee per player

₹7.5 lakh

Match fees can add ₹1.05 crore across 14 league games for players who appear in every match.

IPL 2026 Auction Purse Before Bidding

Franchises started the auction with different budgets depending on retention decisions.

Team

Purse Before Auction

Kolkata Knight Riders

₹64.30 crore

Chennai Super Kings

₹43.40 crore

Sunrisers Hyderabad

₹25.50 crore

Lucknow Super Giants

₹22.95 crore

Delhi Capitals

₹21.80 crore

Rajasthan Royals

~₹19 crore

Punjab Kings

~₹17 crore

Gujarat Titans

~₹15 crore

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

~₹10 crore

Mumbai Indians

₹2.75 crore

Total money available across all teams during the mini-auction reached about ₹237.55 crore.

IPL 2026 Squad Cost Breakdown by Team

Squad value comes from retention contracts and auction spending.

Team

Retention Spending

Auction Spending

Estimated Squad Cost

Mumbai Indians

₹117.25 crore

₹2.75 crore

~₹120 crore

Chennai Super Kings

₹76.60 crore

₹43.40 crore

~₹120 crore

Kolkata Knight Riders

₹55.70 crore

₹64.30 crore

~₹120 crore

Sunrisers Hyderabad

₹94.50 crore

₹25.50 crore

~₹120 crore

Lucknow Super Giants

₹97.05 crore

₹22.95 crore

~₹120 crore

Delhi Capitals

₹98.20 crore

₹21.80 crore

~₹120 crore

Rajasthan Royals

₹101 crore

~₹19 crore

~₹120 crore

Punjab Kings

₹103 crore

~₹17 crore

~₹120 crore

Gujarat Titans

₹105 crore

~₹15 crore

~₹120 crore

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

₹110 crore

~₹10 crore

~₹120 crore

Most franchises spend almost the entire purse since unused budget provides no advantage once the squad closes.

Mumbai Indians Squad Cost

Mumbai Indians entered the IPL 2026 auction with the smallest remaining purse in the league. The franchise spent about ₹117.25 crore on retained players, which left only ₹2.75 crore for auction purchases. Large contracts went to Jasprit Bumrah (~₹18 crore), Rohit Sharma (~₹16 crore), and Suryakumar Yadav (~₹16 crore). Hardik Pandya (~₹15 crore) also holds a major deal and leads the team as an all-rounder.

The auction strategy focused on low-price signings instead of bidding battles for star players. The franchise signed Quinton de Kock for around ₹2 crore, which adds an experienced wicketkeeper to the roster. Most of the squad value comes from retention deals rather than auction spending. The final squad cost stands close to ₹120 crore, which aligns with the IPL purse limit.

Chennai Super Kings Squad Cost

Chennai Super Kings entered the IPL 2026 auction with ₹43.40 crore available, one of the highest remaining budgets among all franchises. Retention contracts reached about ₹76.60 crore before the auction began. Key retained players include Ravindra Jadeja (~₹16 crore) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (~₹14 crore), both central to the team structure.

The franchise used the auction budget to add bowlers and middle-order batters. Chennai usually spreads its budget across several experienced players instead of placing very large bids on one star. The squad includes a balanced mix of retained stars and auction additions. The final roster value again approaches ₹120 crore.

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad Cost

Kolkata Knight Riders entered the IPL 2026 auction with the largest purse in the league at ₹64.30 crore. Retention spending reached only ₹55.70 crore, which created space for aggressive bidding. The franchise released several players before the auction in order to free additional budget.

The strategy allowed the team to pursue high-profile players. One of the biggest purchases involved Mitchell Starc at ₹24.75 crore, one of the highest auction prices in IPL history. Fast bowlers often attract large bids because they influence both the powerplay and death overs. After the auction concluded, the squad value again reached about ₹120 crore.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad Cost

Sunrisers Hyderabad spent about ₹94.50 crore on retained players, which left ₹25.50 crore available for auction bidding. The largest contract in the squad belongs to Pat Cummins (~₹20 crore). Cummins leads the bowling unit and also plays a leadership role in the team.

Another major contract belongs to Heinrich Klaasen (~₹14 crore), one of the most productive middle-order batters in recent IPL seasons. Abhishek Sharma (~₹8 crore) also holds a significant deal as a young all-round player. The auction budget added extra bowlers and batting depth. The squad cost stands close to ₹120 crore.

Lucknow Super Giants Squad Cost

Lucknow Super Giants committed about ₹97.05 crore to retained players before the IPL 2026 auction. The franchise entered the auction with ₹22.95 crore remaining in its purse. KL Rahul (~₹17 crore) continues to hold one of the highest contracts as captain and top-order batter.

Another large deal belongs to Nicholas Pooran (~₹16 crore), who provides power hitting in the middle order. Ravi Bishnoi (~₹11 crore) also represents a key investment as a leading spinner. The team used the auction to add players who contribute in several roles. Total squad spending again approaches ₹120 crore.

Delhi Capitals Squad Cost

Delhi Capitals spent about ₹98.20 crore on retention contracts, which left ₹21.80 crore available for the auction. Rishabh Pant (~₹16 crore) leads the team and holds the largest contract in the squad. Axar Patel (~₹12 crore) adds value as a spin-bowling all-rounder.

Another important deal belongs to Kuldeep Yadav (~₹10 crore) after strong performances in recent IPL seasons. The franchise used auction funds to sign additional fast bowlers and middle-order batters. After the auction ended, the total roster value again moved close to ₹120 crore.

Rajasthan Royals Squad Cost

Rajasthan Royals committed roughly ₹101 crore to retained players before the IPL 2026 auction began. That decision left about ₹19 crore for new signings. Jos Buttler (~₹16 crore) continues as the main batting star of the franchise.

Captain Sanju Samson (~₹14 crore) also holds a major contract as wicketkeeper and top-order batter. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (~₹12 crore) represents another major investment after strong recent seasons. The auction added bowlers and finishing batters to complete the squad. Total spending again approached ₹120 crore.

Punjab Kings Squad Cost

Punjab Kings entered the IPL 2026 auction after spending about ₹103 crore on retained players. The team had about ₹17 crore available for additional signings. One of the largest contracts in the squad belongs to Sam Curran (~₹18.5 crore).

Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan (~₹14 crore) continues as a key batter in the top order. Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh (~₹10 crore) also holds a major contract after several strong seasons. The franchise used the auction to add more depth in both batting and bowling. Total squad spending again reached nearly ₹120 crore.

Gujarat Titans Squad Cost

Gujarat Titans spent about ₹105 crore on retained players before the IPL 2026 auction. That left only ₹15 crore available for bidding. Rashid Khan (~₹18 crore) ranks among the highest-paid bowlers in the league and remains the centerpiece of the bowling attack.

Captain Shubman Gill (~₹16 crore) leads the batting lineup and holds one of the largest contracts in the team. Experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami (~₹12 crore) adds another major salary commitment. The auction focused on role players rather than expensive stars. The final squad cost again reached roughly ₹120 crore.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad Cost

Royal Challengers Bengaluru spent about ₹110 crore on retained players before the IPL 2026 auction began. That left around ₹10 crore available for new signings. Virat Kohli (~₹15 crore) continues as the most valuable batter in the team.

Glenn Maxwell (~₹14 crore) also holds a major contract because he contributes both power hitting and off-spin bowling. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj (~₹11 crore) forms a key part of the bowling unit. Limited auction funds forced the franchise to focus on targeted role players rather than major stars. The final squad value again reached approximately ₹120 crore.

Most Expensive Player Purchases in IPL 2026 Squads

Several high-value players dominate squad spending across the league.

Player

Price

Team

Mitchell Starc

₹24.75 crore

KKR

Sam Curran

₹18.5 crore

PBKS

Pat Cummins

₹20 crore

SRH

Rashid Khan

₹18 crore

GT

Jasprit Bumrah

₹18 crore

MI

Fast bowlers appear frequently among the most expensive contracts because teams value wicket-taking pace bowlers who can influence matches in both powerplay and death overs. All-round players also command high salaries since they contribute with bat and ball.

Total Financial Scale of IPL 2026

Squad spending across the entire league reaches a massive level.

Category

Value

Number of teams

10

Purse per team

₹120 crore

Potential squad spending

₹1,200 crore

Estimated salary cap including bonuses

₹1,510 crore

Such figures place the Indian Premier League among the richest leagues in global cricket. Player salaries in the IPL exceed most other domestic competitions, which explains why top international players compete strongly for auction contracts.

Conclusion

IPL squad costs depend on retention decisions and auction purchases within the ₹120 crore purse structure. Teams that retain several star players usually enter the auction with smaller budgets, while franchises that release players often possess larger bidding power. The financial distribution varies across teams even though the final squad value approaches the same limit.

Fast bowlers and all-rounders receive the highest salaries in most auctions because they influence matches across multiple phases of a game. Players such as Mitchell Starc, Sam Curran, and Pat Cummins demonstrate how teams allocate large contracts to impact players.

Across the league, total player spending reaches about ₹1,200 crore, with the broader salary cap exceeding ₹1,500 crore once match fees and bonuses enter the calculation. Such financial scale explains the strong global interest in the IPL and its ability to attract elite players from many cricket nations.

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