Key Highlights
- Matheesha Pathirana and Cameron Green in IPL.(PTI) But once you follow the money through IPL rules, India’s withholding tax, and then the player’s home-country tax, there’s a very real scenario where Pathirana ends up taking home more than Green, despite both effectively being on the same IPL salary.
- Why Pathirana could net more than Green: the conditions and the mathsStep 1: What the player is actually paid (not what the franchise bids). IPL’s 2026 mini-auction introduced a “maximum fee” rule for overseas players: bidding can go above ₹18 crore, but an overseas player’s pay cheque is capped at INR18 crore, with any “over-cap” portion routed to a BCCI player-welfare mechanism (as reported).
- That’s why Green’s record bid for KKR (INR25.20 crore) does not mean ₹25.20 crore in his pocket.
- Pathirana was bought for INR18 crore, so the cap doesn’t reduce his fee.
- Practical implication: Green and Pathirana can both be on the same gross payable IPL fee: INR18 crore.
