The Indian Premier League is well and truly underway, and the teams are battling out on the cricket pitch. So far after the first six matches in this season, Rajasthan Royals are at the top of the table, while Chennai Super Kings are at the bottom. But for those interested in the behind-the-scenes, the financial side of the league is the primary question: what does it actually cost to host an IPL match? Since its introduction back in 2008, the IPL has become the richest and largest T20 league on Earth. While the revenue is astronomical, due to sponsorships, media rights, and ticket sales, so is the cost of simply holding one game. How Much Does it Cost to Host an IPL Match? Venue Costs: Booking the Stadium The most obvious and most substantial expense is the cost of booking a venue. This season 13 venues are being used to host IPL matches. Booking any stadium, on average, costs between 50 lakhs to 1 crore. The actual cost depends on the city, facilities that are available, and the size of the ground. Also Read | Watch: Rohit Sharma Mobbed by Fans Outside Delhi Hotel Ahead of MI vs DC IPL 2026 Player Salaries The costs for players, including an 'Impact Player', is a significant chunk of a team's expenses. 12 players make up a team's lineup and each player is paid 7.5 lakhs per game. Therefore a team pays, on average, 90 lakhs per game for their players. Multiply this by two and the player costs begin to skyrocket. Officials and staff add more expenses To the team's costs, we add the cost of all the umpires and referees who work on a match. Teams travel with coaches, a medical team, support staff, and all these individuals get paid for each game. These additional costs further add up to the final expenditure. Also Read | Abhishek Sharma Handed Hefty Fine by IPL After KKR vs SRH Clash – What Happened? Travel and logistics: A hefty price to pay Travel and logistics are important expenses for a team. They must fly in between cities, get to their respective hotels and need transportation along with adequate security. On average, teams spend 7 lakhs per match on travel and logistics. Total cost of hosting an IPL match Taking into account all these variables, the total cost of staging an IPL match is around 15 crores. This excludes the cost of broadcasting rights which is a separate arrangement. This demonstrates how big the business behind the game actually is.