IPL 2026 Auction Live: 10 franchises have 77 collective slots to fill
IPL 2026 auction live: The IPL caravan has arrived in Abu Dhabi today for the mini-auction, which promises fireworks and strategic battles as the 10 franchises look to improve their squads ahead of the 2026 season. Starting at 2:30 pm IST, the one-day event at the Etihad Arena will see 369 players – 244 Indians and 115 foreigners – compete for 77 available slots.
The Green Rush
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is dominating the pre-auction talks. Listed at a maximum base price of Rs 2 crore, the 26-year-old player could trigger a bidding war that could eclipse Rs 25 crore. There is expected to be a fierce competition for his services between the two biggest money-spinners, KKR and CSK. While Green’s absence from IPL 2025 due to injury has increased his importance, his T20 numbers speak volumes.
power brokers
Kolkata Knight Riders enter with an unprecedented Rs 64.30 crore and 13 slots to fill. After releasing Andre Russell, Quinton de Kock and Venkatesh Iyer, they are in full rebuilding mode. Chennai Super Kings, in second place with Rs 43.30 crore, are looking for all-rounders after selling Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
At the other end, with Mumbai Indians sitting with a mere Rs 2.75 crore, the auction will mostly be a formality for the five-time champions.
premium list
40 players have had their base price set at Rs 2 crore, with Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi being the only Indians in that elite category. The marquee list includes David Miller, Steve Smith, Quinton de Kock, Liam Livingstone, Mathisha Pathirana and Jamie Smith.
Under the foreign maximum fee rule, the earning of foreign players is Rs 18 crore, even if their winning bid is more than this.
Team Priorities
KKR: Explosive opener-keeper, fast bowling reinforcement, Russell replacement
CSK: Elite all-rounder, path-breaking buyback or death over specialist, middle-order firepower
RCB: Hazlewood backup, fast bowling depth as middle-order backup
DC: An opening batsman is the first priority
SRH: Experienced spinner, exotic finisher, depth in fast bowling
LSG: Middle-order power hitter, Pace backup with injury concerns.
wildcard to look for
Uncapped players Auqib Nabi, Ashok Sharma, Prashant Veer, Karthik Sharma and Salil Arora have caught the attention of franchise scouts. Abhimanyu Easwaran has emerged as a last-minute entrant to the registered list.
Nostalgia Factor
This is the third consecutive year that the auction will be held outside India, a trend that is continuing and is also being seen in Dubai and Jeddah. There are no RTM cards available in this mini-auction, which means teams like KKR will have to bid aggressively if they want someone like Venkatesh Iyer back.
With Rs 237.55 crore available in the collective purse and strategic masterminds plotting their moves, today’s auction promises to reshape championship aspirations and set the tone for an exciting IPL 2026 season.
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The Green Rush
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is dominating the pre-auction talks. Listed at a maximum base price of Rs 2 crore, the 26-year-old player could trigger a bidding war that could eclipse Rs 25 crore. There is expected to be a fierce competition for his services between the two biggest money-spinners, KKR and CSK. While Green’s absence from IPL 2025 due to injury has increased his importance, his T20 numbers speak volumes.
power brokers
Kolkata Knight Riders enter with an unprecedented Rs 64.30 crore and 13 slots to fill. After releasing Andre Russell, Quinton de Kock and Venkatesh Iyer, they are in full rebuilding mode. Chennai Super Kings, in second place with Rs 43.30 crore, are looking for all-rounders after selling Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
At the other end, with Mumbai Indians sitting with a mere Rs 2.75 crore, the auction will mostly be a formality for the five-time champions.
premium list
40 players have had their base price set at Rs 2 crore, with Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi being the only Indians in that elite category. The marquee list includes David Miller, Steve Smith, Quinton de Kock, Liam Livingstone, Mathisha Pathirana and Jamie Smith.
Under the foreign maximum fee rule, the earning of foreign players is Rs 18 crore, even if their winning bid is more than this.
Team Priorities
KKR: Explosive opener-keeper, fast bowling reinforcement, Russell replacement
CSK: Elite all-rounder, path-breaking buyback or death over specialist, middle-order firepower
RCB: Hazlewood backup, fast bowling depth as middle-order backup
DC: An opening batsman is the first priority
SRH: Experienced spinner, exotic finisher, depth in fast bowling
LSG: Middle-order power hitter, Pace backup with injury concerns.
wildcard to look for
Uncapped players Auqib Nabi, Ashok Sharma, Prashant Veer, Karthik Sharma and Salil Arora have caught the attention of franchise scouts. Abhimanyu Easwaran has emerged as a last-minute entrant to the registered list.
Nostalgia Factor
This is the third consecutive year that the auction will be held outside India, a trend that is continuing and is also being seen in Dubai and Jeddah. There are no RTM cards available in this mini-auction, which means teams like KKR will have to bid aggressively if they want someone like Venkatesh Iyer back.
With Rs 237.55 crore available in the collective purse and strategic masterminds plotting their moves, today’s auction promises to reshape championship aspirations and set the tone for an exciting IPL 2026 season.
Follow all updates here:
December 16, 2025 9:20:05 am First
IPL 2026 Auction Live: Late withdrawal? Threat of two-season IPL ban now looms over auction selection
IPL 2026 Auction Live: One of the biggest unspoken rules of bidding these days isn’t about price – it’s about availability. Under the IPL player rules, any player who registers, is selected in the auction, and then makes himself unavailable before the season begins, can be banned for two seasons (from both the tournament and future auctions).
That’s why franchises now put extra effort into travel windows, international commitments and fitness updates before working hard on the target. This rule is designed to prevent squad plans being thwarted by last-minute withdrawals – and has been used as a real deterrent in recent seasons.
December 16, 2025 9:15:06 am First
IPL 2026 auction live: How IPL auction bidding works
IPL 2026 Auction Live: In the IPL auction, bids increase in fixed increments that vary according to the price band – small jumps at the beginning, bigger jumps as the price increases. Teams can’t bid more than the money left in their purse, so if you’re down to your last few crores, there’s basically a limit to your paddle. And once a franchise fills all 25 squad slots (or reaches the overseas limit of 8), bids are placed even if cash remains.
Furthermore, the auction does not run in a straight line: sets may be re-ordered or sped up if room becomes slow, and the late stages often move to a faster rhythm as teams chase backups and price buys.
December 16, 2025 9:10:04 am First
IPL 2026 auction live: When IPL itself went to auction
IPL 2026 Auction Live: The story of the IPL auction didn’t start with the players – it started with the franchises. On January 24, 2008 (Mumbai), the BCCI auctioned eight city teams, turning a brand new league into a billion-dollar idea overnight.
Winning bids (US$ million) set: Mumbai Indians 111.9, Royal Challengers Bangalore 111.6, Deccan Chargers 107.01, Chennai Super Kings 91, Delhi Daredevils 84, Kings XI Punjab 76, Kolkata Knight Riders 75.09, and Rajasthan Royals 67. With a base price of US$50 million per franchise, total sales for the day reached approximately US$723 million – proof that the IPL was not off to a quiet start.
Today’s auction drama is built on that very moment: when the teams themselves were the biggest buyers.
December 16, 2025 9:05:18 am First
IPL 2026 auction live: From Bengaluru’s “auction house” to a Middle East hat-trick
IPL 2026 Auction Live: The IPL 2026 mini-auction will be live from the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, and there’s a small footnote to this location: This is now the third consecutive IPL auction to be held outside India. The league’s auction circuit first shifted to the Middle East with Dubai in 2024, then expanded further with a 2025 mega-auction in Jeddah, and today’s event completes the three-city race with Abu Dhabi in 2026.
The overseas race is new – historically, IPL auctions mostly had an Indian address, and Bengaluru was the default centre. After the initial editions in Mumbai (2008, 2010) and Goa (2009), Bengaluru has hosted an astonishing eight auctions: the 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022 mega auctions. The rest were rare one-offs all over the map – Chennai (2013, 2021), Jaipur (2019), Kolkata (2020) and Kochi (2023).
That’s why Dubai (2024), Jeddah (2025), and now Abu Dhabi (2026) feel like a real era change, not just a one-season experiment.
December 16, 2025 9:00:02 am First
IPL 2026 Auction Live: Hello and welcome to IPL Auction Day
IPL 2026 Auction Live: A very good morning to all of you. Here it is! With the IPL getting bigger and better every year, the auction – be it mega or mini – promises to grab everyone’s attention, and today is no different. With the official resumption last month, the carnival heads to Abu Dhabi, where the collective fate of 369 players will be decided. Some will end the day with big bucks, while others will not, and some will be disappointed if they find no buyers. Again, that’s dynamic. Friends, it is the day of IPL auction. There will be excitement and heartbreak. Crores spent and the crown of a millionaire, as if the hammer is waiting to come down. Stay tuned. We are just getting started.
