Salary Purse Calculator — Which IPL 2026 Team Has Most Flex for Trades

If you have used the CricJosh Salary Purse Calculator, you already know not every IPL 2026 franchise spent its full Rs. 100 Cr cap. Mid-season, the gap between teams is real — and it matters for two reasons. One, mid-season trade flexibility. Two, 2027 auction preparation. Here is which IPL 2026 team has the most flex, computed via the IPL Purse Calculator, and what each franchise can do with it.

TL;DR — Mid-Season Purse Snapshot

Franchise	Total Spend	Purse Remaining	Retention Slots Used	Trade Flex Score
MI	~Rs. 100 Cr	~Rs. 0	All used	Low
CSK	~Rs. 98 Cr	~Rs. 2 Cr	All used	Low
RCB	~Rs. 98 Cr	~Rs. 2 Cr	All used	Low
LSG	~Rs. 99 Cr	~Rs. 1 Cr	All used	Low
KKR	~Rs. 97 Cr	~Rs. 3 Cr	All used	Low
DC	~Rs. 95 Cr	~Rs. 5 Cr	1 unused	Medium
SRH	~Rs. 96 Cr	~Rs. 4 Cr	All used	Medium
RR	~Rs. 94 Cr	~Rs. 6 Cr	1 unused	Medium-High
GT	~Rs. 92 Cr	~Rs. 8 Cr	1 unused	High
PBKS	~Rs. 90 Cr	~Rs. 10 Cr	1 unused	High

For the rules, see the IPL salary cap explainer and the retained-player salary rules.

PBKS Has the Most Flex

PBKS sit on roughly Rs. 10 Cr of unused purse and one unused retention slot. That gives them the league's highest trade flex score. The franchise is positioned to make a marquee mid-season replacement signing if an injury opens a slot, and to enter the 2027 auction with a clearer overhead.

GT — Strategic Reserve

GT held back Rs. 8 Cr at the auction — a deliberate strategy. The team operates with one unused retention slot, giving it bandwidth to address an obvious back-half need (a death-overs specialist seamer is the most-cited gap).

RR — Spin Trio Plus Teen, Cash to Spare

RR's Rs. 6 Cr remaining purse is unusual for a franchise with as many marquee names as Jadeja, Jaiswal and the Sangakkara coaching system. The bandwidth gives RR a second-tier overseas replacement option.

MI and CSK — Spent to the Hilt

Both MI and CSK have effectively zero purse remaining and all retention slots used. Any mid-season change requires a like-for-like swap with the inbound salary equal to the outgoing salary. Their hands are tied.

How the Calculator Computes Flex Score

The Trade Flex Score in the Purse Calculator factors three inputs. Purse remaining (50% weight). Unused retention slots (30%). Indian-overseas balance flexibility (20%). The composite score lands between 0-10.

Mid-Season Trade Mechanics

The IPL trade window is narrow. Trades during the season are limited to like-for-like role swaps with salary parity, plus a small cash adjustment. A franchise with low purse flex can still trade, but only via near-equal swaps. High-flex franchises can absorb a more expensive incoming player.

Outlook — 2027 Auction Prep

Franchises with high purse flex in IPL 2026 enter the 2027 auction with the most strategic optionality. PBKS, GT and RR are best positioned. MI, CSK and RCB will need to release more capped players in 2027 to create cap space.

FAQ

Q: How much purse can each IPL franchise spend? The 2026 salary cap is Rs. 100 Cr per franchise.

Q: Can a team save purse for the next season? No — unspent purse does not roll over to the next year.

Q: What is a retention slot? A pre-auction reserved spot to keep an existing player at a regulated salary band.

Q: Which team has most flex right now? PBKS — Rs. 10 Cr remaining and one unused retention slot.

Q: Can I model my own franchise scenarios? Yes — the IPL Purse Calculator lets you run any team plus any swap.

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Related: IPL Salary Cap How It Works 2026