IPL 2026 Auction: What You Need to Know

IPL 2026 Auction: What You Need to Know

The 2026 edition of the IPL auction — slated for 16 December 2025 — is shaping up to be a fascinating affair of strategy, rebuilding and blockbuster bids. The auction will be held at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi (UAE).

Ahead of the auction, all 10 franchises have completed their retention and release processes by the deadline of 15 November 2025, locking in a total of 173 players (including 49 overseas players) across squads.

With those retentions done, there remain 77 vacant slots to be filled in the upcoming auction; collectively, teams enter the auction with a combined purse of ₹ 237.55 crore.

Retention Snapshot & Auction Context

• The retention window — designed to help clubs keep their core players — has led to 173 players being retained overall.
• Among franchises, Punjab Kings (PBKS) retained the most players: 21.
• Two other clubs — Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) — retained 20 players each.
• The release of certain big names (and other squad shake-ups) means there could be some blockbuster bidding — a competitive auction awaits.

Team-wise Purse, Slots & What’s Up For Grabs

Here’s a team-wise breakdown (post-retention) of squad size, remaining purse, available slots (overall + overseas), and the rebuilding opportunity for IPL 2026. The data below reflects official numbers shared by the league.

Team	No. of Players (retained)	Overseas Players retained	Amount Spent (₹ Cr)	Purse Remaining (₹ Cr)	Available Slots	Overseas Slots
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)	16	4	81.6	43.4	9	4
Delhi Capitals (DC)	17	3	103.2	21.8	8	5
Gujarat Titans (GT)	20	4	112.1	12.9	5	4
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)	12	2	60.7	64.3	13	6
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)	19	4	102.05	22.95	6	4
Mumbai Indians (MI)	20	7	122.25	2.75	5	1
Punjab Kings (PBKS)	21	6	113.5	11.5	4	2
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)	17	6	108.6	16.4	8	2
Rajasthan Royals (RR)	16	7	108.95	16.05	9	1
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)	15	6	99.5	25.5	10	2

Notable points:

• The richest purse is with Kolkata Knight Riders (₹ 64.3 Cr), giving them huge flexibility and 13 slots to fill — including 6 overseas spots.
• Chennai Super Kings also have strong buying power (₹ 43.4 Cr) with 9 slots open.
• On the lower end, Mumbai Indians have only ₹ 2.75 Cr remaining — meaning they might need to target budget buys or trade-ups carefully.

This setup ensures a wide variety of auction strategies: from high-spending bids by KKR and CSK, to value-oriented builds from MI, PBKS or GT.

What This Means: Strategy, Surprise & Auction Drama

With the retention phase complete and such a wide variation in purse size, the IPL 2026 auction is likely to see:

• Aggressive bidding wars from teams with big purse (especially KKR, CSK) — likely targeting top-quality all-rounders, overseas stars, and experienced T20 specialists.
• Value hunting by low-purse teams — MI, PBKS, and others may focus on underrated Indian domestic talent, promising youngsters, or cost-effective overseas picks.
• Surprises & reset buttons — released players (including a few big names) go back to auction pool; some teams might attempt to rebuild core balance (batting, bowling, all-rounders) rather than chasing star power.
• Squad balance — overseas vs Indian talent — given overseas-slot constraints, teams must balance their spend carefully, mixing foreign stars with strong Indian domestic pool.

For fans and analysts, that means the auction outcomes could dramatically reshape the balance of power going into IPL 2026.

What’s Next — What to Watch

• Auction day: 16 December 2025, at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi — keep eyes on the big spends, trades, and how franchises rework their strategies.

• Key picks: Released big-name players might trigger heated bidding; teams with big purse will likely go after proven match-winners.
• Squad composition: Clubs will have to ensure overseas-slot and overall squad-size rules (max 25 players) while filling gaps.

Final Thoughts

As IPL 2026 approaches, the combination of mass retentions, diverse purse sizes, and a compact auction window sets the stage for one of the most dynamic auctions in recent memory. Teams with deep pockets will try to dominate the bidding — but resourceful, value-driven squads might surprise everyone.

For fans of CrickHunt, this auction is not just about big names — it's about the strategy, team-building, and the underlying chess of putting together a balanced, competitive lineup for the season ahead.

Let’s get ready for drama, surprises, and, of course — world-class cricket.