At least a couple of high-profile IPL players have informed their respective franchises that they will only agree to stay on as retained players for the 2028 mega auction if they receive INR 40 crore. The demands, which surfaced ahead of the November 17 retention deadline for IPL 2027, represent a significant escalation in player valuations and place considerable pressure on franchise budgets.

The INR 40 crore figure is notably higher than anything seen at the 2025 mega auction, where the BCCI prescribed retention slabs of INR 11 crore, INR 14 crore and INR 18 crore. In at least one instance, the INR 40 crore demand is also tied to a captaincy condition, adding a non-financial dimension to the negotiation.

The IPL 2027 mini-auction is scheduled for December 16, 2026, in Goa, and IPL 2027 will be the final cycle before the 2028 mega auction. The retention deadline for IPL 2027 was extended to November 17, 2026, from the original date of November 15, 2026. There is no cap on the number of retentions a franchise can make for the IPL 2027 mini-auction.

Why are players demanding INR 40 crore when the 2025 auction ceiling was far lower?

The context for these demands lies in what happened when players chose the auction route over retention at the 2025 mega auction. Rishabh Pant declined a retention offer and went under the hammer, with Lucknow Super Giants bidding INR 27 crore to secure him. Shreyas Iyer similarly opted against retention and fetched INR 26.75 crore at that same auction. Both figures comfortably exceeded the highest prescribed retention slab of INR 18 crore, demonstrating that the open market rewarded players who rejected fixed retention fees.

Going further, overseas players also commanded sums well above the prescribed slabs. Heinrich Klaasen was bought for INR 23 crore and Nicholas Pooran for INR 21 crore at the 2025 mega auction, both exceeding the retention ceiling that BCCI had set. Although the retention slabs were designed to give franchises cost certainty, the auction results showed that elite players could earn significantly more by entering the pool freely.

The total franchise purse at the 2025 mega auction stood at INR 120 crore per side. The purse for the 2027 season has been confirmed at INR 130 crore. Whether the purse will rise further for the 2028 mega auction is not yet formally confirmed, though it is expected to increase to around INR 150 crore per franchise. The historical trajectory supports that expectation: the IPL purse was INR 20 crore in the inaugural 2008 season, rose to INR 60 crore in 2014, climbed to INR 80 crore in 2018, reached INR 90 crore in 2022 and then jumped to INR 120 crore for the 2025 mega auction.

How did the 2025 retention cost structure work, and what precedent does it set?

Retaining players at the 2025 mega auction came with a fixed deduction from a franchise’s available purse. A franchise retaining five players had INR 75 crore deducted from its overall purse before bidding began.

“If the combined amount exceeded INR 75 crore, the actual amount was deducted. If it was lower, the deduction remained INR 75 crore,” the rule stated as quoted by Cricbuzz.

This structure meant that franchises retaining players at the prescribed slabs of INR 11 crore, INR 14 crore and INR 18 crore would always face the minimum INR 75 crore deduction regardless of the combined total falling short. However, if a franchise retained players whose combined value crossed INR 75 crore, the full combined figure was deducted instead. The BCCI has not yet announced what the retention rules or deduction slabs will look like for the 2028 mega auction.

With players now signalling demands of INR 40 crore per head for the next mega auction cycle, franchises face a difficult calculation. A single retention at that price would consume more than a quarter of the expected INR 150 crore purse, leaving considerably less room to build a squad through the auction. The 2025 experience, where players like Pant and Iyer earned INR 27 crore and INR 26.75 crore respectively by going to auction, has clearly shaped player expectations for the cycle ahead.

The ICC announced its Player of the Month nominees for October 2026 on November 5, with three men and three women shortlisted on the basis of performances recorded between October 1 and October 31. The men’s nominees are South Africa’s Marco Jansen, Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas and West Indies captain Shai Hope, while the women’s shortlist features Bangladesh’s Sobhana Mostary, Australia’s Annabel Sutherland and India’s Deepti Sharma.

Marco Jansen had a commanding October in Test cricket, accumulating 198 runs and claiming 13 wickets across the month. His standout contribution came in the 2nd Test against Australia, where he struck 85 runs and returned figures of 5/33 and 1/34. Those performances lifted him to the top of the ICC Men’s Test all-rounders’ rankings, making him the first South African to hold that position since Kagiso Rabada led the bowlers’ table in 2024 and since Vernon Philander topped the all-rounders’ list in August 2014.

Arafat Minhas, the 21-year-old left-arm spinning all-rounder, was named Player of the Series in the Pakistan Tri-Series. He scored 149 runs at a strike rate of 119.20 and took 9 wickets at an economy of 5.13 across the tournament. His most impactful individual displays came against England, where he took 6 wickets for 40 runs, and against Sri Lanka in Lahore, where he struck 61 off 59 balls and contributed 31 in the final.

Shai Hope produced three unbeaten centuries during October, amassing 261 runs across five T20Is against India at a strike rate of 190.51. He struck 162 not out in the first match at New Chandigarh and followed that with 102 not out in the second match at Ranchi. He also remained unbeaten in the fourth T20I at Hyderabad, underlining a remarkable run of form for the West Indies captain.

Who are the women’s nominees and what did they achieve in October?

Deepti Sharma earned her nomination through an all-round showing in India’s ICC Women’s Championship ODI series against Zimbabwe at home, which India won 3-0. She scored 106 not out with the bat and took 5 wickets at an economy of 3.42 across the three ODIs. In the T20I series that preceded the ODIs, Sharma also contributed 49 runs off 37 balls and picked up 2 wickets in three matches against Zimbabwe. She had previously won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award in December 2023.

Sobhana Mostary made history for Bangladesh women during the ICC Women’s Championship series in Australia. She struck 118 off 134 balls in the 2nd ODI at Brisbane, which stands as the highest score by a Bangladesh woman batter against Australia. She finished the series with 129 runs at a strike rate of 73.71.

Annabel Sutherland contributed with both bat and ball as Australia swept Bangladesh 3-0 in the ODI series. She scored 99 runs at a strike rate of 132.00 and took 6 wickets at an economy of 4.12 across the three matches. Her best individual performance came in the 1st ODI, where she returned figures of 4/30, and she added 74 not out in the 3rd ODI. In the T20I series against New Zealand that also fell within October, Sutherland scored 19 runs and took 1 wicket across three matches.

At Auckland on November 4, 2026, India defeated New Zealand by five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Anshul Kamboj received the Player of the Match award after claiming two wickets for 22 runs from ten overs. However, former India batter Mohammad Kaif has questioned the decision, arguing that left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh’s performance merited the honour instead.

Arshdeep finished with four wickets for 70 runs, taking crucial scalps at the top of New Zealand’s order when the hosts needed to build momentum. Kaif highlighted the pacer’s impact in the early stages of the innings, noting that while his final two overs proved expensive, his overall contribution set the tone for India’s victory. Speaking on YouTube, Kaif made a strong case for Arshdeep’s recognition.

“Arshdeep was more impressive. He built pressure by picking wickets at the top. Anshul got wickets later on of the lower-order batters. But Arshdeep put New Zealand out of the game by picking early wickets. His two overs at the end were bad, but he took four wickets. I think he deserved to win the Man of the Match. He set the tone of the game upfront,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Kaif’s assessment centred on the timing and impact of each bowler’s contributions. Arshdeep’s early breakthroughs disrupted New Zealand’s batting plans when the team was building an innings, whereas Kamboj’s wickets came against lower-order batsmen in the latter stages. Kaif acknowledged Kamboj’s technical excellence but maintained that Arshdeep’s role in controlling the match flow warranted the award.

What impressed Kaif about Anshul Kamboj’s bowling technique?

Kaif praised Kamboj’s technical execution despite his reservations about the award decision. The off-spinner’s precision and control throughout his spell demonstrated the value of sound bowling mechanics.

“What I liked about Anshul Kamboj was his release point. The lengths that he hit and the dot balls that he bowled were because of his wrist position, that helps the ball pitch on the seam and get lateral movement. That is why he looked more effective,” Kaif explained.

How should the Indian team approach the selection of Auqib Nabi and player rotation?

Kaif cautioned against making hasty judgments based on limited appearances and stressed the importance of giving players adequate opportunities before making changes. He warned that inconsistent selection sends confusing signals to the squad and undermines player development.

“I would want to see Nabi in two more games. If the decision has been taken, there should not be a situation where you drop him for two games and then bring him back. It gives a confusing signal. Give enough chances before bringing someone else in,” Kaif said.

Kaif emphasised that early assessment of players is unfair and that the transition from domestic cricket or the Indian Premier League to international cricket requires adjustment time. He noted that performing in the IPL differs significantly from playing for India, and players deserve multiple chances to prove themselves at the highest level.

“I always keep telling we should not judge anyone by one or two games. It is unfair. Playing in the IPL and for India has a lot of difference,” Kaif said.

Kaif commended the Indian management for backing both Kamboj and Nabi despite their recent performances. He highlighted that Kamboj had been expensive in his previous ODI appearance, yet the team retained faith in him. Kaif viewed these selection decisions as positive steps that demonstrate the management’s willingness to invest in young talent and provide them with opportunities to develop at the international stage.

“I will praise the management for backing Anshul Kamboj and playing him. He was very expensive in his last ODI. We often judge too soon. But I will praise them for backing both Kamboj and Nabi. These are good calls,” Kaif concluded.