IPL 2027 auction: date, venue, purse rules & what to expect
The IPL 2027 mini auction is on Wednesday, 16 December 2026 in Goa; reports name ITC Grand Goa as the venue. It brings the auction back to India after three editions abroad, in Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi.
How the money works
The salary cap for 2027 is ₹157 crore per franchise. It covers the auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. The cap was ₹146 crore in 2025 and ₹151 crore in 2026, as set by the IPL Governing Council for the 2025-27 cycle. What each team can spend on 16 December depends on the contracts it keeps on 17 November.
| Season | Total salary cap |
|---|---|
| 2025 | ₹146 crore |
| 2026 | ₹151 crore |
| 2027 | ₹157 crore |
The overseas fee ceiling
Under the IPL's maximum-fee rule, an overseas player bought at a mini auction is paid no more than the lower of two figures: the top retention slab (₹18 crore) and the highest price at the previous mega auction (₹27 crore). So the ceiling is ₹18 crore. Bidding can go past it, and the franchise pays the full bid from its purse, but the player's fee stops at ₹18 crore and the excess goes to player welfare. Cameron Green, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore at the 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi, is paid ₹18 crore. In IPL 2026 Green played 14 matches for KKR, scoring 322 runs and taking 7 wickets.
The ten most expensive buys in IPL auction history
| # | Player | Price | Team | Auction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishabh Pant | ₹27.00 crore | LSG | 2025 |
| 2 | Shreyas Iyer | ₹26.75 crore | PBKS | 2025 |
| 3 | Cameron Green | ₹25.20 crore | KKR | 2026 |
| 4 | Mitchell Starc | ₹24.75 crore | KKR | 2024 |
| 5 | Venkatesh Iyer | ₹23.75 crore | KKR | 2025 |
| 6 | Pat Cummins | ₹20.50 crore | SRH | 2024 |
| 7 | Sam Curran | ₹18.50 crore | PBKS | 2023 |
| 8 | Arshdeep Singh | ₹18 crore | PBKS | 2025 |
| 8 | Yuzvendra Chahal | ₹18 crore | PBKS | 2025 |
| 8 | Matheesha Pathirana | ₹18 crore | KKR | 2026 |
Five of the ten came at the 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. Rishabh Pant's ₹27 crore remains the record; he has since been traded back to Delhi Capitals for ₹15 crore for 2027, see trades.
Rules that shape the bidding
- Squads: up to 25 players with a maximum of eight overseas. Teams with full squads must release before they can buy.
- No Right to Match card in 2027.
- A player who is bought and then withdraws before the season is banned for two seasons.
- Indian players who have not played international cricket in the previous five calendar years, and hold no BCCI central contract, count as uncapped.
Before the auction
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 17 Oct 2026 | BCCI tells the ten franchises the mini auction will be in Goa on 16 December, with a briefing on 15 December |
| 2 Nov 2026 | BCCI moves the retention deadline from 15 to 17 November |
| 5 Nov 2026 | CSK and SRH complete a four-player trade |
| 11 Nov 2026 | Hardik Pandya (MI to PBKS) and Arshdeep Singh (PBKS to MI) trade confirmed |
| 17 Nov 2026 | Retention and release lists due from all ten franchises |
| 15 Dec 2026 | Auction briefing for franchises in Goa |
| 16 Dec 2026 | IPL 2027 mini auction in Goa |
This is the last auction held under the IPL's 2025-27 player regulations.