IPL 2026 Player Auction Set for December 16
The BCCI has announced that the player auction for IPL 2026 will take place on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This announcement came after all ten franchises revealed the players they plan to keep and those they have released for the upcoming season.
The deadline for player retention was November 15, 2025. Across the teams, a total of 173 players have been retained, which includes 49 players from overseas. With the auction around the corner, teams will have a combined budget of 237.55 crore to fill the remaining 77 spots on their rosters. Each team can have a maximum of 25 players, and the Punjab Kings have opted to keep the most, retaining 21 players. The Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans follow closely with 20 retentions each.
Among the franchises, the Kolkata Knight Riders have the largest budget, with 64.3 crore available, allowing them to fill up to 13 spots, including six for overseas players. The Chennai Super Kings hold the second-largest purse at 43.4 crore, with nine slots to fill during the auction.
On the retention deadline day, the Super Kings and Knight Riders made headlines by releasing several players. CSK let go of 11 players, while KKR released eight. Notably, KKR parted ways with Andre Russell, a key player for them. Meanwhile, KKR has retained Ajinkya Rahane, who is likely to keep leading the team if they don’t land a big-name player at the auction.
Chennai Super Kings also made some significant changes by releasing Matheesha Pathirana, a fast bowler who gained the trust of MS Dhoni. Additionally, CSK traded veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Sanju Samson.
Both CSK and KKR are expected to engage in competitive bidding for top players at the auction, and it promises to be an exciting event with potential record-breaking bids.
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