Mark your calendars for the IPL 2026 player auction on Tuesday, December 16, taking place in Abu Dhabi. Ten IPL franchises are poised for a strategic battle, aiming to recruit the best talent available. The release of prominent players such as Andre Russell, Matheesha Pathirana, and David Miller from their previous teams has set the stage for a highly competitive auction. The bidding war is scheduled to start at 1 PM local time in Abu Dhabi, which corresponds to 2:30 PM IST.
The final list for the auction comprises 369 players, significantly trimmed from the initial 1355 names. Abhimanyu Easwaran and Swastik Chikara are among the recent additions. Examining team finances, Kolkata Knight Riders stand out with the most considerable purse, Rs. 64.30 crore. Following them are Chennai Super Kings (Rs. 43.40 crore) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rs. 25.50 crore). The franchises collectively aim to fill a maximum of 77 player slots. Kolkata Knight Riders have the highest number of vacancies at 13, while Punjab Kings have the lowest at four.
This IPL auction will operate as a mini-auction and will not feature a specific marquee set. An accelerated bidding round will commence after the auctioning of the initial 70 players. Sports fans can experience the entire auction live on Star Sports Network and stream it conveniently on the JioHotstar app and website.