The IPL 2026 auction marks the third consecutive year of hosting the event overseas, following Dubai in 2024 and Jeddah in 2024 for the prior mega auction.
This year, the mini auction will take place at the Etihad Centre in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
This one-day event features a massive pool of 350 players, as the list was confirmed by BCCI on Tuesday (December 9), with 45 setting the maximum Rs 2 crore base price, creating high anticipation for bidding wars.
Franchises enter with varying purses - KKR leading at Rs 64.3 crore for up to 13 slots, CSK at Rs 43.4 crore for nine slots, and MI trailing at Rs 2.75 crore-after strategic retentions, releases, and trades like CSK acquiring Sanju Samson in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
As the teams head into the auction, there are some big names up for grabs. Australia's Cameron Green is tipped to be the main attraction, while the likes of Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, David Miller are set to be in demand as well. Among the Indian names, only Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi have kept themselves in the Rs 2 crore base price section. IPL veterans such as Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Umesh Yadav will also feature in the auction.
IPL 2026 Auction: Who are heading with the Biggest Purse?
In terms of the auction purses, Kolkata Knight Riders are heading with the biggest as they will head into the mini auction with a chest or Rs 64.3 crore. Along with that, the KKR side has the opportunity to fill in 13 spots. Mumbai Indians are heading into the auction with the least amount of purse with just Rs 2.75 crore. Chennai Super Kings also head into the auction with Rs 43.4 crore war chest, while RCB have a purse of around Rs 16 crore.
IPL 2026 Auction Purses and Remaining Slots
| Team | Purse Remaining (in Rs Crore) | Slots Remaining |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 64.3 | 13 |
| Mumbai Indians | 2.75 | 5 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 22.95 | 6 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 16.4 | 8 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 16.05 | 9 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 43.4 | 9 |
| Delhi Capitals | 21.8 | 8 |
| Punjab Kings | 11.5 | 4 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 25.5 | 10 |
| Gujarat Titans | 12.9 | 5 |
