The player auction is an integral part of the IPL, and the one that was held ahead of the 2023 competition was no different.
A chance for teams to shuffle their squads, and add star power to their teams in the form of both home-based and overseas players, it is the event that kick-starts the build up to the IPL each year.
For 2023, Sam Curran was the headline-maker, with the Englishman going for a record-breaking INR 18.50 crore when he was sold to the Punjab Kings.
Here we look at how the auction works.
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How does the IPL auction work?
The beginning of the Indian Premier League in 2008 saw the start of auctioning players, which changed the dynamic of the cricket landscape.
Auctions take place in anticipation of the upcoming IPL season where it decides the fates of Indian and foreign players who are participating in the tournament.
Conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the process was created to add further excitement to the short form of the game whilst providing various franchises the opportunity to bid on the best players in the world in a bid for glory.
Settled over multiple days, the auction is where players are pooled together and sold to the highest bidder as per the IPL rules and regulations.
Teams are comprised of a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 25 in their squad, with no more than eight overseas players.
MORE: IPL 2023 full team list, squads and players
How much money does each team get?
Each franchise in the IPL gets a budget of INR 80 Crore to assemble the best team that they see fit from all over the world (Capped and Uncapped Indian players as well as Overseas players).
Teams do not need to use the entirety of their INR 80 Crore, but rules stipulate that at least 75 per cent (INR 60 Crore) must be allocated to players.
Franchises can spend 30-40 per cent of their budget on the top five players.
What are the different categories of player in the IPL auctions?
Capped Players
Are basically Indian players who have represented the country's senior team in any format at least once.
Uncapped players
Are Indian domestic players who are in the first-class circuit but have never represented India.
Non-Indian/Foreign/Overseas players
These players can fall under a capped, uncapped or an associate cricket nation from neighbouring countries.
It doesn't really matter where players fall under and which category.
However, an IPL team can only hold a maximum of eight foreign players, with only four being allowed to field at one time.
MORE: Who owns each IPL team?
How many players are listed in the auction?
There is no limit on the amount of players listed at an IPL auction, with the number differing most years.
The amount of players listed is dependent on who signs up, provided the players have been approved by their respective countries/boards.
In 2018 there was 578 players up for grabs, according to Bleacher Report.
The following year the number dropped to 346.
What are the player retention policies in the IPL?
Each franchise is able to hold onto up to five players as a part of the pre-auction retention process in combination with the 'right-to-match' (RTM) policy.
Teams can only retain up to three Indian capped players, up to two overseas and uncapped Indian players.
RTM is an option teams can use on players that match a bid during the auction to ensure the player is retained.
