IPL chairman reveals the reason behind Rs 18 crore cap for overseas players

IPL Governing Council recently introduced a few strict rules, especially regarding overseas players. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now put checks and measures in place to prevent overseas players from misusing the system.

Select English and Australian players have time and again ditched their franchises after getting picked at the auction, often citing fatigue and other priorities. The BCCI is now planning to impose a 2-year ban on any player who withdraws after being picked at the auction. Specifically for overseas stars, if they don't register for an auction during a year, they can't participate for another two years.

Another rule which will be applicable from the IPL 2026 mini-auction is that no overseas player would earn more money than the highest retained or sold player in the mega auction (whichever of the two is lower). IPL chairman Arun Dhumal explained the reason behind the new rule, saying the idea is to make the maximum number of players available at the bigger auction.

Talking to Indian Express, he said, "If a player has been picked up at a higher value vis-a-vis Rs 18 crore per say, the player gets only Rs 18 crore and the rest of the amount will come back to the league to the BCCI and would be utilised for players' welfare. The idea is to make the maximum number of players available at the bigger auction because that is when the franchises can plan a team for three years in advance."

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The IPL chairman was also asked about the potential 2-year ban that overseas stars can incur if they withdraw from IPL participation after being sold in the mega auction. On this, he said, "It has come to our observation that at times players are not making themselves available for bigger auctions but are coming at the smaller auction so that they can get a better value."