Desk 01 — Franchise cricket
IPL 2026: purse maths, retentions and where to watch
Ten squads, one salary cap, and about six weeks of chaos. This is the version of the IPL guide we wish existed — the money rules explained properly, the tactical shifts that actually change results, and the real cost of watching every ball.
The salary cap is the whole story
Every argument about the IPL eventually collapses into arithmetic. Each franchise works to a total squad purse — for 2026 that ceiling sits at ₹120 crore, with a mandatory minimum spend of 75% of it, a squad size of 18 to 25 players, and a maximum of eight overseas signings of whom four may play in any XI. Once you internalise those four numbers, the auction stops looking random.
The retention system is where the value is won. A franchise may keep up to six capped players before the auction, at slab prices that descend steeply: roughly ₹18 crore for the first retention, ₹14 crore for the second, ₹11 crore for the third, and ₹18 crore again for a fourth if a side chooses to protect a genuine match-winner. Uncapped Indian players can be retained at around ₹4 crore. That last slab is the cheat code. A franchise that develops two uncapped domestic seamers into 14-game contributors effectively buys itself ₹20 crore of auction freedom.
The Right to Match card complicates it further. Sides that retain fewer players carry more RTM cards into the room, letting them match a final bid on a released player. The catch introduced in the last cycle — where the bidding team can raise its offer once the RTM is signalled — means an RTM is no longer a guaranteed bargain. Our reading of the last two auctions is simple: RTM is now best used on players in the ₹6–10 crore band, where a rival is unlikely to push the price into irrational territory.
What ₹120 crore actually buys
A workable 2026 spend model, based on the last three auction cycles, looks like this. Numbers are indicative rather than prescriptive, but they are the shape almost every successful squad has taken.
| Squad element | Typical spend | Share of purse | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top three (incl. one overseas) | ₹34–42 cr | 30% | Powerplay run rate is still the single best predictor of net run rate |
| Finishers / middle order | ₹18–24 cr | 17% | Death-over strike rate above 185 is rare and priced accordingly |
| Frontline pace | ₹26–34 cr | 25% | Two bowlers who can bowl overs 17–20 change the entire plan |
| Spin unit | ₹14–20 cr | 14% | Wrist spin in the middle overs remains the cheapest wicket source |
| Uncapped depth (8–10 players) | ₹9–14 cr | 10% | Injury cover, impact-sub flexibility, future retention value |
The impact player rule: pros and cons
The substitute rule lets each side introduce one extra player mid-match. Three seasons of data have made the trade-offs clear.
What it improved
- Average first-innings totals climbed by roughly 12–18 runs at high-scoring venues.
- Teams can now carry a specialist opener and a sixth bowling option.
- Uncapped Indian batters get real game time in low-risk situations.
What it cost
- Genuine all-rounders are devalued — you can rent the skill instead of buying it.
- Bowling averages have inflated; several careers now look worse on paper than they are.
- Chases feel scripted: the ninth batter in the order removes the fear factor.
Our forum poll last season split 54/46 in favour of keeping it, which is roughly where the professional debate sits too. Our own position: keep it, but bar its use in the playoffs, where squad-building discipline should matter most.
Where to watch, and what it costs
Rights are split, which is annoying but manageable. Digital streaming in India runs through the JioHotstar platform, with mobile-only plans starting around ₹149 for three months and full-device annual plans around ₹1,499. Television coverage sits with the Star Sports network, included in most cable and DTH sports packs at roughly ₹40–70 a month. Overseas, Sky Sports covers the UK, Willow TV serves North America, and a standalone international pass typically costs the equivalent of ₹2,000–3,500 per season.
For ground tickets, expect ₹900–1,600 for general stands at most venues, ₹2,500–4,500 for a covered mid-tier seat, and ₹8,000 upward for hospitality. Chinnaswamy and Wankhede sell out fastest; Mullanpur, Lucknow and Guwahati remain the best value if you simply want to be there. Book through the official franchise page rather than resellers — every season we get forum reports of duplicate barcode scams.
Squad gaps to watch this cycle
Across the ten squads, four recurring holes keep decided matches: a left-arm seamer who can bowl the 18th over, a genuine number four who plays spin without a reverse sweep as plan A, a second wrist spinner for away legs, and a reserve wicketkeeper who bats in the top six. Franchises that solve two of the four generally reach the playoffs. Those that solve none finish with a positive net run rate and a negative points table position, which is the most IPL sentence ever written.
Argue with the numbers
The IPL board runs a live auction spreadsheet during the sale and a weekly XI-picker through the season. It is free and it is loud.
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