IPL 2025 vs 2026 Mega-Auction Salary Tier Comparison — Year-over-Year
Share this article
IPL 2026 vs 2025 mega-auction salary tier comparison: how the bands shifted post-mega-auction, who became more expensive, who fell out of the top tier.
The 2025 mega auction reset every salary tier in the IPL — purse cap, retention cap, RTM cards, marquee bids. A year on, with IPL 2026 played past the halfway mark, this is the year-over-year comparison: how every tier's cutoff moved, who climbed up, who fell out, and what the franchise spend distribution looks like.
The Tier Architecture
Every IPL contract sits in one of four tiers:
- Marquee (₹15 Cr+): the franchise-defining contract; usually 1–2 per side
- Tier 1 (₹8–14.99 Cr): core starters
- Tier 2 (₹3–7.99 Cr): rotational starters and high-value role players
- Tier 3 (under ₹3 Cr): bench, uncapped, mystery picks
The 2025 mega auction resets every contract simultaneously — unlike a mini auction where most prices stay put.
Tier Cutoffs — 2025 vs 2026
| Tier | 2025 cutoff | 2026 cutoff | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquee | ₹15.0 Cr | ₹15.0 Cr | 0 |
| Tier 1 | ₹8.0 Cr | ₹8.0 Cr | 0 |
| Tier 2 | ₹3.0 Cr | ₹3.0 Cr | 0 |
| Top-10 average | ₹16.4 Cr | ₹19.8 Cr | +₹3.4 Cr (+21%) |
| Marquee count (>₹15 Cr) | 14 players | 22 players | +8 |
| Tier 1 count (₹8–14.99 Cr) | 47 players | 58 players | +11 |
The tier cutoffs themselves stayed fixed. What moved is the population — 8 more players above ₹15 Cr than IPL 2025, an inflation pulse straight from the mega-auction reset.
Biggest Tier Climbers (2025 → 2026)
Up-Two-Tiers (Tier 2 → Marquee)
| Player | 2025 salary | 2026 salary |
|---|---|---|
| Shreyas Iyer | ₹4.4 Cr (KKR) | ₹26.75 Cr (PBKS) — highest player salary in IPL 2026 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | ₹4 Cr (KKR retained) | ₹23.75 Cr (KKR mega-auction repurchase) |
| Rishabh Pant | ₹13.5 Cr (DC) | ₹27.0 Cr (LSG) |
Up-One-Tier (Tier 1 → Marquee)
- Sanju Samson: ₹14 Cr (RR) → ₹18.0 Cr (CSK signing)
- Heinrich Klaasen: ₹5.25 Cr (SRH) → ₹23.0 Cr (SRH mega-auction repurchase)
- Pat Cummins: ₹20.5 Cr (SRH) — held position
- Mitchell Starc: ₹24.75 Cr (KKR 2024 actually) → ₹11.75 Cr (DC) — fell down a tier
Up-One-Tier (Tier 2 → Tier 1)
- Phil Salt: ₹11.5 Cr (RCB)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: ₹4 Cr (RR) → ₹14 Cr (RR retained)
- Ravindra Jadeja: from CSK retention → ₹14 Cr at RR
Biggest Tier Fallers
Marquee → Tier 2
- Mitchell Starc: ₹24.75 Cr (2024) → ₹11.75 Cr (2026)
- Faf du Plessis: ₹11 Cr (2024) → withdrew from 2026
- Andre Russell: ₹12 Cr (2024) → retired
Tier 1 → Tier 2
- Glenn Maxwell: ₹11 Cr (2024 RCB) → ₹4.2 Cr (PBKS)
- Lockie Ferguson: ₹10 Cr (2024 GT) → ₹6 Cr (KKR)
Franchise Spend Distribution
| Franchise | Tier 1+ count | % of purse on Tier 1+ |
|---|---|---|
| PBKS | 7 | 82% |
| SRH | 6 | 78% |
| KKR | 6 | 71% |
| RR | 5 | 64% |
| MI | 5 | 62% |
| RCB | 5 | 60% |
| LSG | 4 | 58% |
| DC | 5 | 56% |
| GT | 4 | 51% |
| CSK | 4 | 48% |
PBKS leads the league in Tier-1+ allocation — Iyer's project is the most top-heavy purse in IPL 2026. CSK runs the lightest top-heavy build, leaning on uncapped and mid-tier Indian talent.
Record Bids — 2025 vs 2026
| Bid | Player | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹27.0 Cr | Rishabh Pant | 2025 mega | LSG record for player |
| ₹26.75 Cr | Shreyas Iyer | 2025 mega | Highest active 2026 IPL salary |
| ₹24.75 Cr | Mitchell Starc | 2024 KKR mini | All-time peak for an overseas pacer |
| ₹23.0 Cr | Heinrich Klaasen | 2025 mega | Highest WK-batter contract ever |
| ₹20.5 Cr | Pat Cummins | 2024 mini | Held in 2025 |
Key Takeaways
- The marquee tier is twice as crowded. 22 players above ₹15 Cr is the most ever — IPL economics are inflating fast.
- Indian premium is rising sharper than overseas. Top-five Indian salaries in 2026 average ₹22.0 Cr vs ₹15.6 Cr for top-five overseas.
- Captaincy is the cheapest leverage. Riyan Parag (RR captain) earns ₹14 Cr; Ajinkya Rahane (KKR captain) earns ₹1.5 Cr; both top-tier captaincy outcomes for under marquee money.
- Australian pace pricing has corrected. Starc fell from ₹24.75 Cr to ₹11.75 Cr — the market caught up to ROI gaps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn't the tier cutoffs themselves move?
The cutoffs are conventions, not hard rules. The IPL doesn't formally tier players — analysts use ₹3/8/15 Cr bands because they correspond to function (bench → starter → marquee).
Will tier inflation continue in IPL 2027?
Likely no — 2027 is a mini-auction year (only released-player slots), which historically dampens inflation.
How does the BCCI cap affect this?
Total purse rose from ₹100 Cr (2024) to ₹120 Cr (2025) to ₹125 Cr (2026), a 25% increase that funded most of the inflation.
Are retention cards reducing auction-day inflation?
The opposite — retentions removed top players from the open auction, concentrating bidding wars on a smaller pool.
What does this mean for fans wanting cheap fantasy picks?
The Tier 3 bench (under ₹3 Cr) is where Dream11 differentials live — Sai Kishore (₹2 Cr) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (₹1.1 Cr) are the year's two best ROI signings overall.
Related Reads
- IPL salary cap, purse, retention rules 2026-27 explained
- IPL 2026 Auction Rater
- IPL 2026 highest-paid foreign players — overseas salary list
- IPL 2026 per-match cost leaders — most expensive per game
Updated 2 May 2026 — IPL 2026 mid-season. Salary tier counts reflect post-mega-auction rosters.
IPL 2026 Fantasy Tools
Share this article
Arjun Mehta
Expert in: Ipl 2026Arjun Mehta has played club cricket in Mumbai for 12 years and reviews protective cricket gear — helmets, gloves, pads, and guards — for CricJosh. He has personally tested every product in his reviews across match conditions, not just in a shop. He firmly believes no innings is worth a preventable injury.
Why trust this review: Every product in this review was tested by Arjun in real match and net session conditions over a minimum of two weeks before writing. He has no sponsored relationships with any equipment brand.
Related Articles