IPL 2026 Player Salaries — Complete List of All Player Auction Prices & Retained Fees

The IPL 2026 mega auction reshaped franchise cricket economics once again. With a revised salary cap of ₹100 crore per team, franchises had to balance star power with squad depth across retention windows and a fiercely competitive two-day auction. This guide covers every major player's salary, team-wise breakdowns, umpire pay, and the rules governing IPL finances in 2026.

IPL 2026 Salary Overview

The BCCI raised the IPL salary cap to ₹100 crore for the 2026 season, up from ₹90 crore in 2025. Each franchise was allowed to retain up to 6 players before the mega auction — a maximum of 5 capped players and 2 uncapped players. Retained players' salaries were deducted from the team purse before the auction began.

The mega auction held in November 2025 saw record-breaking bids. A total of 577 players were registered, with 204 players sold across two days. The auction set a new record for the most expensive player purchase in IPL history when Rishabh Pant was bought by Delhi Capitals for ₹27 crore.

Teams entered the auction with varying purse sizes depending on how many players they had retained. Franchises that retained fewer players had more to spend, creating an intense bidding war for marquee names.

Highest Paid Players in IPL 2026

Here are the 15 most expensive players in IPL 2026, combining both retention fees and auction purchases:

Rank	Player	Team	Role	Price (₹ Cr)	Type
1	Rishabh Pant	Delhi Capitals	WK-Batter	27.00	Auction
2	Shreyas Iyer	Punjab Kings	Batter	26.75	Auction
3	Jos Buttler	Gujarat Titans	WK-Batter	24.50	Auction
4	Mitchell Starc	Kolkata Knight Riders	Fast Bowler	24.00	Auction
5	Virat Kohli	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Batter	21.00	Retained
6	KL Rahul	Lucknow Super Giants	WK-Batter	19.00	Auction
7	Pat Cummins	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Fast Bowler	18.50	Retained
8	Jasprit Bumrah	Mumbai Indians	Fast Bowler	18.00	Retained
9	Rohit Sharma	Mumbai Indians	Batter	16.30	Retained
10	Suryakumar Yadav	Mumbai Indians	Batter	16.00	Retained
11	Hardik Pandya	Gujarat Titans	All-rounder	15.75	Auction
12	Ravindra Jadeja	Chennai Super Kings	All-rounder	15.00	Retained
13	Shubman Gill	Gujarat Titans	Batter	14.50	Retained
14	Sanju Samson	Rajasthan Royals	WK-Batter	14.00	Retained
15	Rashid Khan	Gujarat Titans	Spinner	13.50	Retained

Rishabh Pant's ₹27 crore price tag made him the most expensive player in IPL history, surpassing Shreyas Iyer's ₹26.75 crore deal. Both purchases reflected the premium franchises place on proven Indian match-winners who can anchor a batting lineup across an entire season.

Team-wise Salary Breakdown

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Ravindra Jadeja	All-rounder	15.00
Devon Conway	WK-Batter	11.50
Matheesha Pathirana	Fast Bowler	10.00
Rachin Ravindra	All-rounder	8.75
MS Dhoni	WK-Batter	4.00

CSK's full squad and schedule

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Jasprit Bumrah	Fast Bowler	18.00
Rohit Sharma	Batter	16.30
Suryakumar Yadav	Batter	16.00
Tilak Varma	Batter	11.00
Tim David	All-rounder	8.50

MI's full squad and schedule

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Virat Kohli	Batter	21.00
Phil Salt	WK-Batter	12.50
Liam Livingstone	All-rounder	10.00
Josh Hazlewood	Fast Bowler	9.00
Rajat Patidar	Batter	8.00

RCB's full squad and schedule

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Rishabh Pant	WK-Batter	27.00
Axar Patel	All-rounder	12.00
Jake Fraser-McGurk	Batter	9.50
Kuldeep Yadav	Spinner	9.00
Mitchell Marsh	All-rounder	8.00

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Mitchell Starc	Fast Bowler	24.00
Sunil Narine	All-rounder	12.50
Venkatesh Iyer	All-rounder	11.00
Andre Russell	All-rounder	10.00
Rinku Singh	Batter	8.50

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Sanju Samson	WK-Batter	14.00
Yashasvi Jaiswal	Batter	13.00
Shimron Hetmyer	Batter	9.50
Trent Boult	Fast Bowler	8.00
Dhruv Jurel	WK-Batter	7.00

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Pat Cummins	Fast Bowler	18.50
Travis Head	Batter	13.00
Heinrich Klaasen	WK-Batter	12.50
Abhishek Sharma	All-rounder	10.00
Nitish Kumar Reddy	All-rounder	7.50

Gujarat Titans (GT)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Jos Buttler	WK-Batter	24.50
Hardik Pandya	All-rounder	15.75
Shubman Gill	Batter	14.50
Rashid Khan	Spinner	13.50
Mohammed Shami	Fast Bowler	9.00

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
Shreyas Iyer	Batter	26.75
Arshdeep Singh	Fast Bowler	13.00
Kagiso Rabada	Fast Bowler	10.50
Marcus Stoinis	All-rounder	9.00
Prabhsimran Singh	WK-Batter	5.00

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Player	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
KL Rahul	WK-Batter	19.00
Nicholas Pooran	WK-Batter	12.00
Ravi Bishnoi	Spinner	8.50
Avesh Khan	Fast Bowler	7.50
Ayush Badoni	Batter	6.00

What is MS Dhoni's IPL 2026 Salary?

MS Dhoni was retained by Chennai Super Kings for ₹4 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 mega auction. This figure is significantly lower than what a player of Dhoni's stature might command on the open market, and there is a clear reason for it.

Under the BCCI's retention rules, franchises could retain an uncapped player at a base price of ₹4 crore. Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in August 2020, qualified as an uncapped player for retention purposes. CSK used this provision to retain their iconic captain at a fraction of what capped Indian stars cost.

The ₹4 crore retention price represents one of the best value deals in IPL history. Dhoni's leadership, match-finishing ability, and sheer brand value far exceed his salary on paper. For CSK, retaining Dhoni was never about the money — it was about keeping the identity of the franchise intact.

At 44 years old, Dhoni continues to draw packed stadiums and massive television viewership wherever he plays, making his ₹4 crore salary arguably the biggest bargain in the tournament.

What is Virat Kohli's IPL 2026 Salary?

Virat Kohli was retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for ₹21 crore, making him the highest-retained player in IPL 2026. Kohli has been with RCB since the very first IPL season in 2008, and his loyalty to the franchise has become one of the defining stories of the tournament.

The ₹21 crore retention fee reflects Kohli's status as the most marketable cricketer in India. Beyond his batting contributions, Kohli drives jersey sales, sponsorship deals, and stadium attendance for RCB. His retention was widely expected and universally seen as the right move by the franchise.

Kohli's salary places him third on the overall list behind Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, both of whom were acquired through the open auction where bidding wars pushed prices higher.

What is Rohit Sharma's IPL 2026 Salary?

Rohit Sharma was retained by Mumbai Indians for ₹16.30 crore. The five-time IPL champion captain remains the cornerstone of the MI batting lineup and the franchise's most important retention decision.

Rohit's salary reflects his dual value as a top-order run scorer and an experienced captain who has led MI to more IPL titles than any other skipper. Mumbai Indians retained Rohit alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav, investing heavily in their core Indian trio.

IPL Umpire and Referee Salaries

One of the most searched questions around IPL salaries is about the match officials. Here is what umpires and referees earn per match in IPL 2026:

On-field Umpires: ₹6 to ₹8 lakh per match. Senior umpires on the ICC Elite Panel earn closer to the higher end of this range. With each umpire officiating approximately 8 to 12 matches per season, a top IPL umpire can earn between ₹50 lakh and ₹96 lakh across the tournament.

Third Umpire (TV Umpire): ₹5 to ₹6 lakh per match. The third umpire handles referrals, run-out decisions, and boundary checks using technology.

Match Referee: ₹4 to ₹5 lakh per match. The match referee oversees the conduct of the game, handles code-of-conduct violations, and ensures the match runs according to ICC and BCCI playing conditions.

For context, these figures are significantly higher than domestic cricket match fees but lower than what ICC pays for international matches. The IPL's match-official pay has risen steadily over the years, reflecting the tournament's growing commercial value.

IPL 2026 Salary Cap Rules Explained

Understanding how IPL salaries work requires knowing the rules that govern team spending:

Salary Cap: Each team has a maximum purse of ₹100 crore to build their entire squad for the season. This includes all retained players, auction purchases, and replacement signings.

Retention Slots: Teams could retain up to 6 players before the mega auction. The retention prices were tiered:

• 1st retained capped player: ₹18 crore minimum
• 2nd retained capped player: ₹14 crore minimum
• 3rd retained capped player: ₹11 crore minimum
• Uncapped player retention: ₹4 crore

Right to Match (RTM): Franchises could use RTM cards during the auction to match the highest bid for a previously associated player. Each team received up to 6 RTM cards, but using an RTM counted against the retention limit.

Minimum Spend Requirement: Each franchise must spend at least 85% of their salary cap (₹85 crore) on player salaries. This rule prevents teams from hoarding funds and ensures competitive balance.

Squad Size: Teams must have a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 25 players in their squad. At least 8 players must be from overseas, though only 4 overseas players can feature in any playing XI.

Mid-season Transfers: IPL 2026 continues to allow mid-season player transfers with mutual consent of both franchises and the player. Salary obligations are typically split proportionally based on the number of remaining matches.

Check out the IPL 2026 Auction Rater to see how each team's auction strategy scored.

Salary Trends Over the Years

The IPL salary cap has grown dramatically since the tournament's inception:

Season	Salary Cap (₹ Cr)	Highest Paid Player	Price (₹ Cr)
2008	20	MS Dhoni	6.00
2014	60	Yuvraj Singh	14.00
2018	80	Ben Stokes	12.50
2022	90	Ishan Kishan	15.25
2024	90	Mitchell Starc	24.75
2025	90	Rishabh Pant	27.00
2026	100	Rishabh Pant	27.00

The growth in the salary cap mirrors the IPL's expanding media rights revenue, which reached over ₹48,000 crore for the 2023-2027 cycle across TV and digital platforms.

Explore more historical data in the IPL Records section.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MS Dhoni's IPL 2026 salary?

MS Dhoni earns ₹4 crore in IPL 2026. He was retained by Chennai Super Kings as an uncapped player at the base retention price of ₹4 crore.

What is Virat Kohli's IPL 2026 salary?

Virat Kohli earns ₹21 crore in IPL 2026. He was retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru as the first-choice capped retention.

What is Rohit Sharma's IPL 2026 salary?

Rohit Sharma earns ₹16.30 crore in IPL 2026 after being retained by Mumbai Indians.

What is Jasprit Bumrah's IPL 2026 salary?

Jasprit Bumrah earns ₹18 crore in IPL 2026. He was retained by Mumbai Indians and is the highest-paid bowler in IPL history.

What is Hardik Pandya's IPL 2026 salary?

Hardik Pandya earns ₹15.75 crore in IPL 2026 after being bought by Gujarat Titans at auction.

What is Shubman Gill's IPL 2026 salary?

Shubman Gill earns ₹14.50 crore in IPL 2026. He was retained by Gujarat Titans and captains the franchise.

Who got 27 crore in IPL?

Rishabh Pant received ₹27 crore from Delhi Capitals at the IPL 2026 mega auction, making him the most expensive player in IPL auction history.

What is the salary of a referee in IPL?

An IPL match referee earns ₹4 to ₹5 lakh per match. On-field umpires earn ₹6 to ₹8 lakh per match, while the third umpire earns ₹5 to ₹6 lakh per match.

Who is the most expensive umpire in IPL?

Senior umpires on the ICC Elite Panel, such as Nitin Menon and Chris Gaffaney, are among the highest-paid officials in the IPL. They earn around ₹8 lakh per match and can officiate 10 to 12 matches per season, earning up to ₹96 lakh across the tournament.