The IPL 2026 auction takes place on Tuesday (December 16), at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, the third consecutive overseas event and second in the UAE.
Kicking off at 2:30 PM IST, this one-day spectacle features
over 350 players competing for 77 slots across 10 teams, with a total purse of ₹237.55 crore driving bids for stars like Cameron Green and uncapped talents.
Kolkata Knight Riders lead with ₹64.30 crore for 13 slots including 6 overseas, positioning them for major acquisitions, followed by Chennai Super Kings at ₹43.40 crore for 9 slots. Mumbai Indians face constraints with just ₹2.75 crore for 5 slots.
As the auction arrives, the franchises will be represented by a few new faces, as many coaching tweaks took place in between the last season and auction.
Who will be the new faces in IPL 2026 Auction?
Kolkata Knight Riders Overhaul
Abhishek Nayar, promoted from assistant coach to head coach, brings tactical acumen and player management skills after working under Chandrakant Pandit. Tim Southee, former New Zealand pace spearhead, joins as bowling coach to mentor KKR's young fast bowlers following Bharat Arun's departure. Shane Watson, IPL-winning all-rounder and coaching veteran, takes dual assistant coach roles to bolster batting strategies.
Along with that, the CEO Venky Mysore, and co-owner Jahnvi Mehta are certain to be present in the mini auction.
RR and LSG with Changes
Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lankan legend and proven tactician, replaces Rahul Dravid as Rajasthan Royals head coach, bringing aggressive strategies and international experience. Lucknow Super Giants bolster their setup with Tom Moody as Director of Cricket, Kane Williamson as Strategic Advisor - the Australian is set to be present in the auction.
Shreyas Iyer for PBKS
Shreyas Iyer will be the new face in the auction table, this time for the Punjab Kings. The star player was bought by PBKS in the mega auction last year.
Will MS Dhoni be present for CSK?
MS Dhoni is not going to attend in the auction, but his strategic inputs are likely to be executed at the event.
What happens for RCB?
Although the Royal Challengers Bengaluru may undergo a change in ownership, the team have a set of administrators who will be leading the auction.
IPL 2026 Coach Changes
| Team | Position | Outgoing | Incoming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Head coach | Chandrakant Pandit | Abhishek Nayar |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Bowling coach | Bharat Arun | Tim Southee |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Spin bowling coach | Carl Crowe | - |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Assistant coach | Abhishek Nayar | Shane Watson |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Power Coach | Ottis Gibson | Andre Russell |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Mentor | Zaheer Khan | - |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Assistant coach | Rajat Bhatia | - |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Bowling coach | - | Bharat Arun |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Spin bowling coach | - | Carl Crowe |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Strategic Advisor | - | Kane Williamson |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Director of Cricket | - | Tom Moody |
| Punjab Kings | Spin bowling coach | Sunil Joshi | Sairaj Bahutule |
| Rajasthan Royals | Head coach | Rahul Dravid | Kumar Sangakkara |
| Rajasthan Royals | Spin bowling coach | Sairaj Bahutule | - |
| Rajasthan Royals | Fielding coach | Dishant Yagnik | - |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Fast bowling coach | James Franklin | Varun Aaron |
