Big Bucks: What the South African players will earn in the 2025 Indian Premier League

NO less than 16 South Africans will be involved in the big money 2025 Indian Premier League which starts on Saturday.

- JOHN GOLIATH

Players from around the world converge on India to play in the most-watched cricket league on the planet. And the rewards are just as big, as players become instant millionaires for just six weeks’ work.

The IPL has generated billions in revenue since its inception in 2008, turning the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) into one of the richest governing bodies in sport.

In June 2022 it sold the broadcast tights for five IPL seasons to global media giants for $6.2 billion.

The IPL is a huge earner for Indian cricket and the tournament makes more than $11 billion for the economy each year. Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant got all the headlines during the recent 2025 auction when he became the most expensive player in Indian IPL history. Pant was sold to the Lucknow Super Giants for a record $3.2 million (RS8 million), breaking the record that actually briefly held by a South African.