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IPL 2026 auction: Purse size, sets, slots left, venue and time - everything you need to know
The IPL 2026 mini-auction on December 16, 2025, will prioritize specific player roles within limited slots, prompting major early decisions.
The IPL 2026 min-auction is a squad fixing auction, not a squad building one. With limited slots available, franchises aren’t shopping for nice players, they are hunting specific roles, in specific price bands, with very little margin for error.
That’s why the one thing to remember before the first paddle goes up is simple: there are far more players than jobs, and the auction is structured to force big decisions early.
When and where is the IPL 2026 mini-auction?
The mini-auction will be held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and is scheduled to start at 2:30 PM IST.
For fans in India, broadcasting/streaming is via Star Sports and JisHotstar.
The Headline numbers
Here is a look at the scale of the room:
- 359 players shortliest, spread across 42 sets.
- 77 total slots available across 10 franchises, including 31 overseas slots
- Player mix: 244 Indians and 115 overseas cricketers
There is also a funnel story behind the list. While 1,355 players listed for the auction, only 359 have been shortlisted.
How is the auction structured?
The 42 sets are organised by role and then by capped/uncapped and base price bands. The auction will start with set number 1 for Marquee players.
Two list patterns matter for how the day actually plays out”:
1) Premium names are front loaded
The set design shows that 40 of out of 49 top-bracket players are packed into sets 1-5 and 11-14, meaning the biggest bidding decisions will happen early.
2) The back end becomes a low-base scramble
The final eight sets contain 81 players, almost entirely uncapped and overwhelmingly at INR 30 lakhs base, this is where teams finish squads quickly once their first-choice targets are done.
Will Right To Match be available for the teams in IPL 2026 auction?
No, there will be no Right to Match available to the teams during the IPL 2026 auction.
Base Prices: where the market will actually move
The base-price pyramid explains why mini-auction look quiet after the initial fireworks:
- 40 players at INR 2 crore base
- 9 at INR 1.15 crore, 4 at INR 1.25 crore, 17 at INR 1 crore, 44 at INR 75 lakh
- Only 4 at INR 50 lakh and 7 at INR 40 lakh
- And a massive 234 players at the minimum base price of INR 30 lakhs
Also Read: IPL 2025 auction analysis reveals money does not ensure trophy ahead of mini-auction
What kind of auction is this, by roles?
Role distribution suggests what’s likely to be oversupplied:
- All-rounders: 139
- Fast Bowlers: 92
- Batters: 47
- Spinners: 43
- Wicketkeepers: 38
And the India vs Overseas tilt is sharp: pace and multiskill options skew more overseas, while specialist batting/spin depth skews Indian.
Rules, squad limits and the 18 cr overseas cap
Squad rules remain standard: teams can build up to 25 players, with a maximum of 8 overseas, and a minimum squad size of 18.
The major mini-auction twist is financial: no overseas player can take more than INR 18 cr, even if the winning bid goes higher.
And if two teams get stuck at the same final bid because of purse constraints, the rulebook allows a sealed tiebreak bid, submitted to the BCCI, the extra amount goes to the BCCI and doesn’t hit the salary cap.
Purse sizes and slots left: Who can force the room’s hand?
Here is the teamwise purse remaining and slots to fill for the IPL 2026 mini-auction: KKR INR 64.30 crore (13 slots), CSK INR 43.40 crore (9), SRH INR 25.50 crore (10), LSG INR 22.95 crore (6), DC INR 21.80 crore (8), RCB INR 16.40 crore (8), RR INR 16.05 crore (9), GT INR 12.90 crore (5), PBKS INR 11.50 crore (4), MI INR 2.75 crore (5).
KKR and CSK can dictate the room, SRH/DC.LSG have enough to win a targeted fight, while MI are basically in a mode to fill up the squad unless a surprise bargain falls into their lap.
