Lalit Modi, the architect of the Indian Premier League, has never been one for modest forecasts. In a recent appearance on The Overlap podcast with Michael Vaughan, the former IPL commissioner laid out a staggering financial roadmap that could see cricket rival the NBA and NFL in terms of player compensation.
Modi’s primary massive prediction is that by 2030, the IPL’s financial landscape will have shifted so dramatically that top-tier players will earn upwards of $15 million to $16 million (Rs 130-150 crore) per season.
The Rs 130 Crore Payday: Breaking Down Modi’s Projections
According to Modi, the rapid surge in media rights, global streaming subscriptions and franchise valuations is paving the way for a salary explosion.
The $100 Million salary cap
Modi predicts that the franchise salary purse, which currently sits at ₹125 crore ($15M approx.) in 2026, will skyrocket to $100 million (Rs 932 crore) per team by 2030.
This would represent a nearly 650% increase in the spending power of a single franchise over the next four years.
The $1 million-per-match club
Under this new financial structure, Modi believes the elite bracket of 3 or 4 players in each squad will capture the lion’s share of the purse.
Per Season: Elite stars could earn $15-$16 million (approx. Rs 130-150 crore) for a two-month tournament.
Per Match: With a standard 16-game season (including playoffs), these players would effectively earn $1 million (₹8 crore) every time they take the field.
“Look at the impact on the players’ purses,” Modi said on the podcast.
“There is a certain amount they have to spend on players. You will see the player purse of the IPL team rising to USD 100 million dollars (approx Rs. 932 crore) a season. That means the cap of the team. So you will see top players who are playing sixteen games, having earnings of a million dollars a game. The top three or four players in a team are going to make fifteen to sixteen million dollars a season, without doubt. I do not doubt it’ll happen by 2030,” he added.
The Next face: Jacob Bethell and Vaibhav Suryavanshi
During the discussion, Modi specifically highlighted young talents as the beneficiaries of this boom. He agreed with Michael Vaughan that England’s Jacob Bethell (currently with RCB) and Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi are the types of X-factor athletes who will eventually command these $16 million contracts.
Why the sudden boom?
Modi attributes this projected growth to three main pillars:
The Shift to Digital: Moving away from traditional TV ad models to high-margin global streaming subscriptions.
Team Valuations: Modi claims IPL franchises like RCB (recently sold for $1.78B) and RR are currently “undersold” and will soon be worth $5 billion each, rivaling NBA teams.
Home-and-Away Expansion: : He argued that the IPL is currently losing ₹2,400 crore by not playing a full 94-match home-and-away schedule, which he expects to be the eventual format.