BCCI sets IPL auction budget for Lucknow, Ahmedabad

The two new Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises -- Lucknow and Ahmedabad -- have been allotted a budget of Rs 33 crore to pick three players who go back into the pool before the mega auction begins.

In an email, which has been accessed by ANI, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally conveyed the rules and the salary purse for all the teams -- set at Rs 90 crore --. The amount is an increase from the IPL 2021 auction as then the purse was of Rs 85 crore.

The eight existing franchises (CSK, KKR, RCB, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and SunRisers Hyderabad) have been allowed to retain up to four players.

The BCCI has set the retention window for the eight older franchises from November 1-30, and the window for Lucknow and Ahmedabad is from December 1-25.

If one of the eight existing franchises decides to retain four players, then they will be debited Rs 16 crore for the first player, Rs 12 crore for the second player, Rs 8 crore for the third player, and Rs 6 crore for the fourth player and the total deduction will be 42 crore.

For all ten franchises, the amounts for retaining either three, two, or one player are the same. If they decide to retain three players then the slabs are -- Rs 15 crore, Rs 11 crore, and Rs 7 crore, and the total will equal to 33 crore.

If franchises decide to retain just two players, then the slabs are -- Rs 14 crore and Rs 10 crore. For only one player, Rs 14 crore will be deducted from a franchise's auction purse.

For the eight franchises, rules have been set that they cannot retain more than three Indians (capped/uncapped). They cannot retain more than two overseas players and not more than two uncapped Indian players.

The two new franchises -- Lucknow and Ahmedabad -- cannot pick more than two Indian players (capped/uncapped). They also cannot pick more than one overseas player and more than one Indian uncapped player.