The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the IPL 2025 auction will be held on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. It made the announcement hours after each of the ten franchises’ retention and release lists were made public at the end of the November 15 deadline.
This will be the third time that the IPL auction will be held outside India. Each time, it has been hosted in West Asia, with the 2024 edition (the first time it was held overseas) in Dubai and the two-day 2025 auction in Jeddah. The 2026 auction will be a single-day event.
“The player retention window for the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season closed on November 15, 2025, with all 10 franchises confirming their retained players ahead of
the auction,” the BCCI said in a statement. “Across teams, a total of 173 players have been retained, including 49 overseas players. A combined purse of ₹237.55 crore will be available at the auction for a total of 77 player slots. With each team allowed to have a maximum squad of 25 players, Punjab Kings have opted to retain 21 players, the most among the 10 franchises, while Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans have retained 20 players each.”
“Heading into the auction, Kolkata Knight Riders will have a purse of ₹64.3 crore, the largest among the group, to fill a maximum of 13 slots with six overseas spots available. Chennai Super Kings will have the second-biggest kitty of ₹43.4 crore to fill a maximum of nine available slots,” the statement added.
Official team-wise breakdown
| Franchise | No. of Players | No. of Overseas Players | Total Money Spent (Rs.) | Salary Cap Available (Rs.) | Available Slots | Overseas Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | 16 | 4 | 81.6 | 43.4 | 9 | 4 |
| Delhi Capitals | 17 | 3 | 103.2 | 21.8 | 8 | 5 |
| Gujarat Titans | 20 | 4 | 112.1 | 12.9 | 5 | 4 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 12 | 2 | 60.7 | 64.3 | 13 | 6 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 19 | 4 | 102.05 | 22.95 | 6 | 4 |
| Mumbai Indians | 20 | 7 | 122.25 | 2.75 | 5 | 1 |
| Punjab Kings | 21 | 6 | 113.5 | 11.5 | 4 | 2 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 17 | 6 | 108.6 | 16.4 | 8 | 2 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 16 | 7 | 108.95 | 16.05 | 9 | 1 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 15 | 6 | 99.5 | 25.5 | 10 | 2 |
| Total | 173 | 49 | 1012.45 | 237.55 | 77 | 31 |
Although it’s a mini-auction on paper, the huge budgets of the franchises, especially KKR and CSK, would make for a fascinating event. The next step in this process will be player registration, and then shortlisting of a few hundred names who’ll go under the hammer, depending on the teams’ needs.
