IPL 2026 Auction: The buzz around the IPL 2026 season is steadily building as all ten franchises gear up for the much-anticipated mini-auction, scheduled to be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
This will mark the third consecutive year the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to conduct the auction outside the country. The previous edition, in 2024, took place in Saudi Arabia, setting a new precedent for the league's growing global reach.
Before the high-stakes event, franchises have been asked to submit their list of retained and released players by November 15, no later than 3 PM IST. The BCCI will then publish the final list of players available in the auction pool, setting the stage for another
round of tactical bidding and squad reshaping.
Even before the retention deadline, teams have already started making calculated moves in the trade window. Mumbai Indians (MI) have been the most active franchise so far, completing two confirmed trades. The five-time champions first secured Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Thakur had joined LSG as a replacement player for ₹2 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 season.
In a second deal, MI roped in Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans (GT). Interestingly, this isn't the first time the West Indian all-rounder has joined the Mumbai-based outfit through a trade; MI had earlier acquired him in a similar manner before the 2020 season - a campaign that ended with Rohit Sharma lifting the coveted trophy.
With retention decisions looming large and the auction date now confirmed, the excitement is palpable. Teams are expected to make tough calls to strike the right balance between experience and youth. As December 16 draws near, all eyes will turn to Abu Dhabi, where fortunes could once again change with the swing of the auction hammer in the cash-rich league.
