IPL franchises in trouble as top stars demand whopping INR 40 Crore to stay

IPL 2028 Mega Auction: ₹40 Crore Retention Demands Could Test Franchise Budgets

Indian Premier League franchises may face a difficult balancing act ahead of the 2028 mega auction, with reports suggesting that some of the competition’s biggest names are seeking retention deals worth as much as ₹40 crore. If the reported demands become a wider trend, teams will have to weigh the value of keeping a marquee player against the cost of building a complete, competitive squad.

Captaincy is reportedly one factor behind the high figures. A star player who leads a side can offer value beyond runs or wickets, bringing influence in the dressing room, continuity for the team and a strong connection with supporters. But a deal at this level would also consume a substantial share of a franchise’s auction budget.

The immediate focus, however, is on the IPL 2027 mini-auction, scheduled for December 16 in Goa. The reported retention discussions relate to the following year’s mega auction, where franchises are expected to rebuild larger portions of their squads.

Why Players May Seek ₹40 Crore Deals

According to a report by Cricbuzz, at least two prominent players have told their respective franchises that they would consider staying only if they receive ₹40 crore. Other high-profile cricketers could make similar requests, particularly if they believe an open auction would produce a more lucrative offer.

The auction gives players a chance to test their market value in direct competition. When several franchises need a specialist batter, an experienced captain or a proven all-rounder, bidding can rise quickly. A retention offer therefore has to be attractive enough to persuade a player to give up that opportunity.

Recent auctions illustrate why some stars may prefer to enter the bidding. Before the 2025 mega auction, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant did not continue with their previous teams and went into the auction pool. Pant secured a reported ₹27 crore contract, while Iyer received ₹26.75 crore. Those deals showed that franchises can be prepared to pay a premium for players they consider central to their plans.

That precedent does not guarantee that every star will command ₹40 crore. Auction prices depend on team requirements, available alternatives, player form and the number of franchises competing for the same role. Still, past bidding wars may shape players’ expectations as negotiations begin.

What a ₹40 Crore Retention Would Mean for a Team

The financial impact becomes clearer when the player’s salary is compared with the overall purse. The auction purse stood at ₹120 crore in 2025 and is set to rise to ₹130 crore for the 2027 season. If it reaches approximately ₹150 crore for the 2028 mega auction, a ₹40 crore contract would account for more than a quarter of a franchise’s total budget.

That would leave significantly less room to retain or recruit other established players, strengthen the bench and cover specialist roles. Teams also need to consider squad balance: spending heavily on one star may be justified if that player fills a rare role or consistently changes matches, but it can create gaps elsewhere if the remaining budget is stretched too thin.

Franchises will therefore need to assess more than a player’s headline statistics. Leadership, availability, performance under pressure, role flexibility and the quality of potential replacements could all influence whether a ₹40 crore demand represents good value.

How the IPL Auction Purse Has Grown

The league’s spending limits have expanded considerably since its inaugural season in 2008, when each franchise had a purse of ₹20 crore. The figure rose to ₹60 crore in 2014, ₹80 crore in 2018, ₹90 crore in 2022 and ₹120 crore in 2025. It is set to reach ₹130 crore for IPL 2027.

A rise to around ₹150 crore for the 2028 mega auction is possible, although the final amount will depend on the rules announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The auction purse has historically reflected the commercial scale of the competition, including the value of its media rights. With the next media-rights cycle expected to go on sale next year, a further increase in the purse is a possibility rather than a confirmed figure.

For franchises, a larger purse would provide more spending power, but it may not make record retention demands easier to manage. If player salaries rise alongside the overall budget, teams could still face difficult choices over how to distribute their funds.

Retention Rules Could Shape the 2028 Auction

The BCCI’s retention framework will be another major factor in determining how much teams can offer their leading players. At the previous mega auction, the listed retention slabs were ₹18 crore, ₹14 crore and ₹11 crore. Franchises could, however, pay players more than the listed slab amounts by declaring their actual salaries.

Heinrich Klaasen was reportedly retained for ₹23 crore, while Nicholas Pooran received ₹21 crore. Under the previous structure, retaining five players resulted in a standard purse deduction of ₹75 crore. If a franchise’s combined retention payments exceeded that figure, the higher actual amount was deducted; if the total was lower, the standard deduction still applied.

Any changes to those rules could reshape negotiations. A system that gives teams greater flexibility may help them keep core players, while stricter limits could make an auction appearance more appealing to stars who expect strong competition for their services.

Why the Retention System Is Difficult to Remove

One alternative discussed ahead of the previous mega auction was to remove direct retention and rely on the Right to Match (RTM) option. Under RTM, a franchise can match the highest bid for a player during the auction and bring that player back into its squad.

However, the approach can create complications. If bidders know a team has the option to match the winning offer, they may bid more aggressively, expecting the original franchise to use RTM. That could inflate prices and make it harder to identify a player’s genuine market value. It may also create uncertainty for both teams and players during the bidding process.

Retention has been a defining feature of the IPL auction system since the league began, allowing franchises to preserve a core group while still reshaping their squads. Removing it entirely would represent a major structural change, so the BCCI may instead look at adjusting the number of retentions, salary slabs or purse deductions.

What to Watch Before the IPL 2028 Mega Auction

For now, the reported ₹40 crore demands remain a sign of the bargaining power top players may bring to the next mega auction—not a settled price for the market. The purse announcement, BCCI retention rules and the number of players each team can keep will all influence negotiations.

Prediction: If the auction purse approaches ₹150 crore and franchises are allowed to retain several core players, the biggest challenge may not be finding the money for one superstar, but assembling a balanced squad after committing so much to a single contract. The 2028 auction could therefore become a test of strategy as much as spending power, with teams deciding whether loyalty, leadership and proven match-winning ability justify a record-breaking retention fee.