The mini-auction for players for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16 (Tuesday). There is a lot of discussion before the mini-auction about one rule that applies to foreign players. According to IPL Board of Control rules, no foreign player can earn more than ₹18 crore in the mini-auction, even if a franchise team bids higher. This means that even if the bid exceeds ₹18 crore, the foreign player will get only that amount. This rule was first implemented in the mega auction of IPL 2025 and has now been extended to the mini auction. Its purpose is to maintain financial discipline and prevent excessive bidding in mini-auctions. For example, even if Australian star all-rounder Cameron Green gets a bid of ₹30 crore, his IPL salary will still be only ₹18 crore. The remaining ₹12 crore will go to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Players Welfare Fund. However, the franchise team will have to pay the entire ₹30 crore from its own purse. For the mini-auction, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the biggest purse, with ₹64.3 crore, while five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have ₹43.6 crore. Despite huge funds in their purse, no team can pay more than ₹18 crore to a foreign player. This rule only applies to foreign players; Indian players are entitled to receive the entire bid amount even if it is more than ₹18 crore. Rishabh Pant was the most expensive player in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Pant was bought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for ₹27 crore and he received his full salary. Pant remains the most expensive player in IPL history. Share this story Tags