Home > Cricket Breaking News > IPL 2026 Auction: Auction Happens On December 16, In Abu Dhabi
IPL 2026 Auction: Auction Happens On December 16, In Abu Dhabi
Updated - 18-NOV-2025 5:35 IST
The IPL 2026 mini-auction will take place in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on December 16, 2025, according to formal confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The major event will be held outside of India for the third year in a row.
Why Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi has been selected once more because of its outstanding facilities and ease of travel, particularly for foreign coaching and support personnel.
The BCCI is continuing its practice of using Gulf sites for important IPL tournaments, with the Etihad Arena serving as the venue.
Mini-Auction, Big Stakes
This will be a one-day mini-auction, as opposed to a "mega auction," where teams will make specific moves instead of totally rebuilding their rosters.
In order to finalize their list of players who will be kept and released before the auction, clubs have to end the retention window on November 15.
Across the ten teams, 173 players—including 49 foreign players—have been kept. The franchisees can bid on the remaining 77 slots with a combined auction purse of ₹237.55 crore.
Teams & Budgets: Who’s Sitting Pretty?
|
Teams |
No. of Players |
Available Slot |
Overseas Slot |
Purse Left(INR) |
|
KKR |
12 |
13 |
6 |
64.3 CR |
|
CSK |
16 |
9 |
4 |
43.4 CR |
|
SRH |
15 |
10 |
2 |
25.5 CR |
|
LSG |
19 |
6 |
4 |
22.95 CR |
|
DC |
17 |
8 |
5 |
21.8 CR |
|
RCB |
17 |
8 |
2 |
16.4 CR |
|
RR |
16 |
9 |
1 |
16.05 CR |
|
GT |
20 |
5 |
4 |
12.9 CR |
|
PBKS |
21 |
4 |
2 |
11.5 CR |
|
MI |
20 |
5 |
1 |
2.75 CR |
What’s Next
Now that the date and location have been confirmed, the focus shifts to strategies, such as which players each team will pursue and how the Abu Dhabi bidding drama will play out. The IPL 2026 team lineups will be heavily impacted by the auction, which may also determine how aggressively teams play the season.
The auction is going to include intense bidding battles, particularly for in-demand foreign talent and dominant domestic players, given the enormous payout for certain teams and the tight budget for others.