The countdown to the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) has officially started. After the completion of the retention process on Saturday, November 15, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the date and venue for the IPL auction 2026.
The stage is set for an intense bidding war in Abu Dhabi as a total of 77 player slots are up for grabs, including 31 spots for foreign stars after the retention process. Now, the teams will compete for the remaining slots in Abu Dhabi next month with a combined auction purse of Rs 237.55 crore.
IPL Auction 2026 to be held on December 16 at Etihad Arena
The much-awaited IPL Auction 2026 will be a grand overseas event this time which will take place on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. All ten franchises have submitted their list of retained players and now the real action begins.
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Meanwhile, after releasing high-profile players like Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will enter the IPL auction 2026 with the biggest purse of Rs 64.30 crore, giving them plenty of room to rebuild and strengthen their squad.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), on the other hand, are next with Rs 43.40 crore, aiming to strengthen their squad after making retentions.
However, this time, despite having a roster of 20 players, Mumbai Indians (MI) find themselves in a difficult position with only Rs 2.75 crore to spend in the auction, thereby limiting their options in the IPL auction 2026.
KKR leads the race with a huge purse of ₹64.3 crore
Well, KKR are already entering the auction with 12 players in their roster and 13 slots are still to be filled, including 6 spots for overseas stars, and they can bet on the big stars with the biggest purse of Rs 64.3 crore. CSK have retained 16 players, leaving 9 spots vacant with 4 overseas players.
Talking about Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Kavya Maran’s team will compete to fill 10 slots, including 2 for overseas players, after retaining 15 players with a salary of Rs 25.5 crore.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have retained 19 players, leaving only 6 slots to complete their squad in the auction, 4 of which are for overseas players, and a purse of Rs 22.95 crore.
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Delhi Capitals (DC) have retained 17 players, leaving 8 spots open to fill, including 5 for overseas stars, with Rs 21.8 crore available. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) also have 17 players retained, 8 slots left, including 2 foreigners, and Rs 16.4 crore in their purse.
Mumbai Indians enter IPL auction with smallest purse
Rajasthan Royals (RR) retained 16 players, left 9 spots open with 1 overseas spot and had Rs 16.05 crore to spend in the auction. Gujarat Titans (GT) have 20 players in their roster with 5 slots remaining, including 4 for overseas players, and a purse of Rs 12.9 crore.
Finally, Punjab Kings (PBKS) retained the largest number of players from their previous team – 21 players, leaving only 4 slots, 2 of which were for foreign talent, in the auction where they can spend Rs 11.5 crore.
Mumbai Indians enter the auction with 20 players retained but only 5 slots to fill, including 1 overseas slot and the smallest purse of Rs 2.75 crore.
