IPL Auction 2026: Top 10% Players Grab Over Half the Pool, Inequality Deepens

• In 2026 IPL auction, the top 10% of players secured 51.4% of the total auction pool, a sharp increase from 42.4% in 2025.
• The bottom 40% of players received only 5.2% of the total earnings, highlighting a widening disparity.
• The IPL Palma ratio, measuring inequality, rose to 9.9 in 2026 from 8.6 in 2025, indicating a renewed concentration of payouts at the top.
• Median auction price dropped to Rs 1 crore in 2026 from Rs 1.5 crore in 2025, despite an increased base price of Rs 30 lakh.
• The highest-paid player in 2026 fetched Rs 25.2 crore, reinforcing the "winner-takes-most" market trend in IPL.

Why It Matters: IPL 2026 auction shows deepening earnings inequality, with top players dominating the salary pool.