How IPL Players Set Their Base Price: The Rulebook Behind the Number
A player’s base price in the IPL auction isn’t decided by the BCCI or by franchises. It’s set by the player at the time of registration, through a self-selected price slab published in the IPL’s guidelines. These slabs usually range from the lower brackets available to uncapped players (around Rs. 20–30 lakh) up to Rs. 2 crore for capped players. The number a player picks becomes the starting point for bidding on auction day.
This choice is more strategic than fans realise. A high base price can shrink the buyer pool and increase the risk of going unsold. A lower base price often broadens interest and can even spark bidding wars that push the final fee far higher than expected. Veterans adjusting their base price downward to stay relevant have become a regular pattern in recent auctions.
What doesn’t influence the base price is any algorithmic valuation or franchise recommendation. The system relies entirely on the player’s reading of demand, competition, and timing. Once the auction begins, the market decides the rest.
A total of 359 players will go under the hammer at the IPL 2026 mini auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Forty players have listed themselves at the maximum base price of Rs. 2 crore, with Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi the only Indians in that bracket. Teams will compete for 77 available slots, including 31 overseas spots.
Kolkata Knight Riders enters the auction with the largest purse, Rs. 64.30 crore, and have 13 slots to fill, six of them overseas. Chennai Super Kings follow with Rs. 43.4 crore and nine vacancies.
Published on Dec 11, 2025
