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IPL 2026 Auction: Schedule, Rules, Window, Team Goals, and Major Purchases (Detailed Guide)
Updated - 6-NOV-2025 9:31 IST
As the IPL 2026 Auction draws near, interest is growing for an important event that will influence teams' futures for the ensuing three seasons. This year's IPL 2026 mini-auction is expected to be a major auction, with teams upgrading their core teams, letting go of losers, and making strong bids for new talent.
This is an in-depth introduction to the IPL 2026 season's schedule, regulations, auction window, team tactics, and key anticipated purchases.
IPL Auction 2026 Schedule and Venue
|
Category |
Details |
|
Auction Date |
December 13–15, 2025 (expected) |
|
Auction Time |
3:00 PM (IST) |
|
Venue |
Abu Dhabi, UAE |
|
Retention Deadline |
November 15 |
|
Purse |
Rs 151 CR per team |
|
New Player Fee |
Rs 7.5 Lakh PM |
|
Streaming |
Star Sports, JioCinema, and the official IPL YouTube |
IPL Auction 2026 Rules and Format
The mega auction model, which was last utilized in 2022, will be employed at the 2026 event. All teams are permitted to keep a certain number of players before the auction under this arrangement; the remaining players are returned to the pool.
Rules for Retention (Expected)
- Each team may have up to four retentions.
- Within those four, teams may keep up to three Indian players and two foreign players.
- Reintroducing a Right-to-Match (RTM) card would enable teams to keep players by matching their auction prices.
Spending and Purse
- The total purse for each franchise will be ₹100 crore, up from ₹95 crore in 2025.
- While marquee players may earn up to ₹20 crore, the minimum player pay cap will be at ₹20 lakh.
- It is possible to carry over unused purse funds from the prior season.
The New Rules for the IPL 2026 Mini-Auction
- RTM, or right to match: Before RTM is applied, teams may match the final bid once.
- ₹151 crore is the salary cap for each franchise.
- Players are paid in two parts: ₹7.5 lakh for each match plus the auction price.
- Trade flexibility: Until early December 2025, player and cash swaps are permitted.
Team Goals and Strategies
Based on team balance and prior performance, each franchise has particular goals going into the Super Auction. Teams are supposed to approach the event as follows:
|
Teams |
What they’re looking for |
Names frequently linked |
|
CSK |
Pace depth, foreign finishers and all-rounders, and WK succession plans |
Mitchell Owen, Cameron Green, Donovan Ferreira, trade look-in: Sanju Samson, Mark Wood, Gerald Coetzee, William O’Rourke |
|
RR |
New bowling; depth of wicket-taking |
T Natarajan, Mohammed Shami, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Jason Behrendorff, Tanveer Sangha |
|
KKR |
Top-order strike, seam experience, and Indian WK-bat |
Alex Carey, Jamie Smith, Cameron Green, Ben Duckett, Tom Banton, Ben Stokes, Mohammed Shami |
|
LSG |
Reliability of death overs; foreign speed |
Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Jayden Seales, Gerald Coetzee |
|
SRH |
Middle-order anchor to complement powerplay aggression; WK cover |
Cameron Green, Rilee Rossouw, Michael Bracewell, K.S. Bharat |
|
DC |
A pacer or leggie can give variation to a fire opening. |
Mayank Agarwal, Daniel Sams, Finn Allen, Adil Rashid, Kyle Jamieson |
|
MI |
Spin depth + utility all-rounders |
Tabraiz Shamsi, Mohammad Nabi, Krishnappa Gowtham, Michael Bracewell, Rushil Ugarkar |
|
GT |
Middle-order stability behind a strong top three |
Ben Duckett, Rassie van der Dussen, Cameron Green, Ravi Smaran, Tushar Raheja |
|
RCB |
Power-hitter replacement slot; seam-all-rounder |
Shardul Thakur, Mark Wood, Jhye Richardson, Ben McDermott |
|
PBKS |
WK-bat finisher; spin-dominant hitters; backup pace |
Steve Smith, Tom Curran, Nandre Burger, Tim Seifert, Gulbadin Naib |