Before every IPL season begins, there’s always a buzz around the player auction. The reason is quite obvious.
The fortunes of a few players shine bright as they pocket massive deals, which leaves everyone shell-shocked. Take the IPL 2025 Player Auction, for example.
Franchises went crazy after a few players in what was a ‘Mega’ auction. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spent INR 27 crore to acquire Rishabh Pant, the most expensive bid in the auction history.
But now comes the big question. When do the players receive their money?
In this piece, let’s see how the salary system works in the IPL.
What’s the salary of IPL players?
It’s pretty simple. The amount at which a franchise buys a player in the auction becomes the concerned player’s salary. And the salary is for one season.
If we continue with the above example, Rishabh Pant will receive INR 27 crore for the IPL 2025 season. Not to forget, Pant will also pay some tax on the salary. So the actual amount may change.
Now, if a franchise extends the contract of a player for another season, he will receive the same salary. Sometimes players even get hikes, especially before the mega auctions.
When it comes to overseas players, they have to pay 20 percent tax on their salaries. And their national boards also get a 20 percent cut, though the cost is borne by the IPL and not the player. The IPL pays the fee from its central revenue pool.
Do franchises pay full salary if a player doesn’t play a single match?
Yes. Franchises have to pay the complete salary even if a player who is available for the entire season doesn’t play a single game in a season.
So players aren’t worried if they make it to the XI or not. Their salary is going to reach their bank accounts.
But this might not be the case with the partially available players or those who pull out before the season begins.
If a player pulls out before the season starts, then the concerned franchise won’t pay a single penny. A pull-out now even comes with a two-year ban!
And in the case of partially available players, franchises pay them a proportional amount based on the matches played.
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What about the injured players?
If the player gets injured during the season, then they will receive the full season’s salary. Franchises even have to cover the medical expenses of the injured player.
But if the player suffers an injury before the season starts, the franchise isn’t liable to pay the salary.
So, how do franchises pay the salary?
See, the salary payments may vary from franchise to franchise.
Some franchises pay the whole salary in one go before the season. Some franchises make it 50-50: half salary at the start and the rest in the mid-season.
And some release the salary in three tranches: 20 percent at the start, 60 percent during the season, and the rest 20 percent after the season.
On top of that, players also receive daily allowances from the franchises. The daily allowances vary from franchise to franchise.
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