It's that time of the year when the IPL franchises give final shape to their squads. Retentions have been made, scouting is done, trials are over. It's the time for the auction - a mini one this year - and here is all you need to know about it.
First of all, when is the auction?
The IPL 2026 auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. It is a one-day event that will start at 1pm local time (2.30pm IST).
How many slots are to be filled?
A total of 77 slots are available, including 31 for overseas players. Kolkata Knight Riders have the most vacancies, 13, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad with ten. You can check here how the teams stack up and what gaps they need to fill.
And how many players have registered for the auction?
The longlist had 1355 names, of which 359 have been shortlisted. Among them, 244 are Indian and 115 from overseas. Forty players have listed themselves at the maximum base price of INR 2 crore (USD 220,000 approx.), with Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi the only Indians in that group.
What is the maximum squad size?
A squad can contain up to 25 players, with a maximum of eight overseas. The minimum squad size is 18.
Who could be the biggest buys?
Australia allrounder Cameron Green will be the main attraction; his bid could even go beyond INR 25 crore (USD 2.7 million approx.). Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith and Bishnoi could also generate keen interest, but their final price may not be quite as astronomical.
What is the purse size for each team?
After trades and retentions, Kolkata Knight Riders have the biggest purse available: INR 64.30 crore (USD 7.1 million approx). Chennai Super Kings are the next with INR 43.40 crore (USD 4.8 million approx.). Here's each team's available purse:
Will we see the first 30-crore buy at the IPL?
While both KKR and CSK are expected to bid fiercely for Green, INR 30 crore (USD 3.3 million approx.) looks uncertain. What is certain, though, is that no overseas player can take home more than INR 18 crore (USD 2 million approx.) even if the winning bid is more than that. That is because of the IPL's "maximum-fee" rule, which states that an overseas player's maximum fee at a mini auction will be the lower value between the highest retention slab (INR 18 crore) and the highest price at the previous mega auction (INR 27 crore for Rishabh Pant in this case).
Any uncapped players who can surprise?
Yes, Jammu & Kashmir allrounder Auqib Nabi and Rajasthan fast bowler Ashok Sharma are fancied by franchise scouts and coaches. Also keep an eye out for Uttar Pradesh allrounder Prashant Veer and Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma, along with left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur, who played for Mumbai Indians last season.
Who all are in the marquee set?
Given this is a mini-auction, there is no marquee set. The auction will begin with a set of capped batters. Since Green has registered himself as a batter, he is part of this group. Devon Conway, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller and Prithvi Shaw are also in this set.
When will the accelerated round start?
The accelerated round will start after the first 70 players have presented, and will cover the remaining players. The franchises will then be asked to submit the names of the unsold players from the overall list for further accelerated rounds.
Any big names missing from the auction?
Glenn Maxwell is probably the biggest one. Apart from him, Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali have also not registered. Andre Russell, who was released by KKR, has announced his IPL retirement and taken up the role of power coach at the franchise.
Can the teams use the RTM card to buy back a player?
Since it's a mini-auction, the RTM option is not available to the teams.