The IPL auction 2026 is just a few hours away, and the excitement is palpable. There have been multiple estimates, as to which player could go to which franchise, but it a different ball game altogether, when all the team owners meet in the auction room. As has been the history of the auction, there are bound to be surprises; some teams get steal deals for players, while the others end up paying a premium for a player of need.
But talking about the upcoming auction, the real contest will be between KKR and CSK, and who could use the money power to assemble a better squad, and find themselves in a similar position, which PBKS was in, before the last auction. As for other teams, they would have to wait for their turn, and only hope that the Kolkata & Chennai spare their wishlist players.
Nonetheless, with the IPL auction so close, there could still be some questions unanswered. So, InsideSport answers them all.
When and where will IPL auction 2026 take place?
The IPL auction for the 2026 edition will be conducted in Abu Dhabi on December 16, 2025. The coverage of the event will start at 1.00 PM IST. Meanwhile, it will be shown on Star Sports network, and the live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.
How many players will go under the hammer?
Out of the 1300 approx. players who registered for the IPL 2026 auction, only a list of 359 has been selected by the franchises. Since this happens to be a mini-auction, teams have already marked their players.
How many slots are left to be filled, team-wise?
CSK – 9 overall (4 overseas)
DC – 8 overall (5 overseas)
GT – 5 overall (4 overseas)
KKR – 13 overall (6 overseas)
LSG – 6 overall (4 overseas)
MI – 5 overall (1 overseas)
PBKS – 4 overall (2 overseas)
RR – 9 overall (1 overseas)
RCB – 8 overall (2 overseas)
SRH – 10 overall (2 overseas)
What is the purse remaining for all teams?
CSK – INR 43.40 cr
DC – INR 21.80 cr
GT – INR 12.90 cr
KKR – INR 64.30 cr
LSG – INR 22.95 cr
MI – INR 2.75 cr
PBKS – INR 11.50 cr
RR – INR 16.05 cr
RCB – INR 16.40 cr
SRH – INR 22.50 cr
What is the maximum & minimum squad size?
The maximum squad size for a team is 25, while the minimum requirement is of 18 players for all teams.
Which big names are missing from IPL auction?
Andre Russell recently announced his retirement. Glenn Maxwell hasn’t registered, and so haven’t Moeen Ali & Faf du Plessis. Ex-India pacer Mohit Sharma too retired, and won’t be seen in the auction.
How is mini-auction different from mega auction?
Smaller list: The rules are pretty simple. The list is truncated, as the teams have already shortlisted the players after consensus. Only 359 players will undergo the process of auction.
Limited slots to be filled: Only 77 slots across team need to be filled. That is the maximum number that will be bought on Tuesday; it can be lesser too.
No RTMs: In mini-auctions there are no RTMs available.
No marquee set: No marquee sets are available in the mini-auction.
Who could be the most expensive player in IPL auction 2026?
It seems, everyone knows it is going to be AUS all-rounder Cameron Green. Many also predict that he will surpass the previous record of most expensive player — held by Rishabh Pant (27 Cr) offered by LSG. Among Indian players it could be spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
Stars who could make a comeback in IPL?
Among the Indian players, the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw are expected to make a comeback in the IPL.
