IPL 2026 Mini Auction: Date, venue, player list, KKR purse & top bids

The IPL 2026 mini-auction is set to take place on 16 December in Abu Dhabi as a one-day event, beginning at 1:00 pm local time (2:30 pm IST). A total of 77 slots are available across franchises, including 31 overseas players.

Kolkata Knight Riders have the highest number of vacancies (13), followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad with 10. In total, 1,390 players registered for the auction, out of which 369 players have been shortlisted by the BCCI.

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The IPL league is expected to be held between March 26 and May 31, as confirmed by franchise.

A total of 369 players will go under the hammer. Among Indian players, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi are the only two to register at the maximum base price of INR 2 crore (approximately USD 220,000), a bracket that also includes 40 players overall.

As per IPL rules, a squad can have a maximum of 25 players and a minimum of 18, with no more than eight overseas players.

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is expected to be one of the biggest draws at the auction, with bids likely to exceed INR 25 crore (approximately USD 2.7 million). Other overseas names expected to attract interest include Liam Livingstone and Jamie Smith, though their prices are not expected to reach similar levels.

Among franchises, Kolkata Knight Riders have the largest purse at INR 64.30 crore, followed by Chennai Super Kings (INR 43.40 crore), Sunrisers Hyderabad (INR 25.50 crore), Lucknow Super Giants (INR 22.95 crore) and Delhi Capitals (INR 21.80 crore).

As per IPL’s maximum-fee rule, no overseas player can earn more than INR 18 crore, even if bidding crosses that mark. The rule caps an overseas player’s salary at the lower of the highest retention slab (INR 18 crore) or the highest price at the previous mega auction (INR 27 crore, paid to Rishabh Pant).

Several Indian uncapped players could emerge as value buys, including all-rounders Auqib Nabi and Prashant Veer, fast bowler Ashok Sharma, left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur, and wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma.

There will be no marquee set at this auction, as it is a mini-auction. Notable absentees include Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis, and Moeen Ali, who have not registered for the event. Andre Russell, who has announced his retirement from the IPL, will attend in his capacity as a power coach for KKR.

The Right to Match (RTM) card will not be available at this auction, meaning franchises cannot buy back former players by matching the highest bid.

The auction will be live-streamed on JioHotstar and broadcast on the Star Sports Network.