Slots available, schedule and purse: All you need to know about the IPL 2026 auction

The time has arrived for the proceedings to shift to the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League. Although it is a mini-auction, the upcoming IPL 2026 auction promises intense action, with all franchises on the lookout to fill key slots. With retentions confirmed in November, the spotlight now turns to the much-awaited bidding phase of the off-season. Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings are poised to be the top guns in Abu Dhabi on December 16, holding the highest purse value among the 10 franchises.

IPL 2026 auction schedule and slots available

With the mega auction concluded last season, the IPL 2026 auction will now provide teams with a platform to fine-tune their squads. While major reshuffles are considered rare at a mini-auction, the IPL 2026 mini-auction is still expected to witness high-octane bidding. With only a handful of positions up for grabs, franchises are not browsing for attractive names, they are targeting clearly defined roles within fixed price brackets, leaving virtually no room for miscalculations. With the supply of players far exceeding the number of available spots, the IPL 2026 auction format is deliberately built to push franchises into making decisive calls early in the day.

The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, with proceedings set to begin at 2:30 PM IST. For the fans awaiting to catch the proceedings in India, the auction will be broadcast and streamed live on Star Sports and JioHotstar. A total of 359 players have been shortlisted, divided across 42 separate sets. There are 77 slots to be filled by the 10 franchises, including 31 earmarked for overseas players. The player pool comprises 244 Indian cricketers and 115 overseas names.

Although as many as 1,355 players initially registered for the IPL 2026 auction, only 359 made the final shortlist. These 42 sets have been arranged according to player roles, followed by capped or uncapped status and corresponding base-price slabs. As per convention, proceedings will begin with Set No. 1, which features the marquee players.

Of the 49 players in the highest price bracket, 40 are clustered within Sets 1-5 and 11-14. This concentration ensures that the most aggressive and high-stakes bidding wars are likely to take place early. The final eight sets include 81 players, most of whom are uncapped and largely priced at the minimum base of INR 30 lakh. This phase is typically when franchises complete their squads once their priority targets have been secured.

There will be no Right to Match (RTM) option available to teams during the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Meanwhile, 40 players are listed at a base price of INR 2 crore 9 players at INR 1.15 crore, 4 at INR 1.25 crore, 17 at INR 1 crore, and 44 at INR 75 lakh. Only 4 players are priced at INR 50 lakh and 7 at INR 40 lakh. A substantial 234 players sit at the minimum base price of INR 30 lakh

Meanwhile, there is also a noticeable imbalance between Indian pool and overseas registrations. Fast-bowling and multi-skill profiles are more heavily represented among overseas players, while specialist batters and spin options are predominantly Indian. Squad regulations remain unchanged. Each franchise can build a squad of up to 25 players, must have a minimum of 18, and can include no more than eight overseas cricketers.

The key financial wrinkle in this mini-auction is that no overseas player can ultimately earn more than INR 18 crore, even if the bidding exceeds that figure. Additionally, in scenarios where two franchises are locked at the same final bid due to purse limitations, the rules permit a sealed tiebreak bid submitted to the BCCI. Any additional amount paid through this process is transferred to the BCCI and does not count against the team’s salary cap.

Remaining purse and slots for each team ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction

• KKR have INR 64.30 crore with 13 slots to fill
• CSK have INR 43.40 crore with 9 slots to fill 
• SRH have INR 25.50 crore with 10 slots to fill
• LSG have INR 22.95 crore with 6 slots to fill
• DC have INR 21.80 crore with 8 slots to fill
• RCB have INR 16.40 crore with 8 slots to fill
• RR have INR 16.05 crore with 9 slots to fill
• GT have INR 12.90 crore with 5 slots to fill
• PBKS have INR 11.50 crore with 4 slots to fill
• MI have INR 2.75 crore with 5 slots to fill

With their substantial budgets, KKR and CSK are well positioned to control the tempo of the IPL 2026 auction room. SRH, DC, and LSG possess enough flexibility to win targeted bidding battles, while MI are largely focused on filling out their squad unless an unexpected bargain presents itself.