IPL 2026 auction: When and where will the mini auction take place?

173 players have been retained by the 10 teams ahead of IPL 2026 auction.

Following the completion of the retention process, the focus has now shifted to Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction. On Saturday, November 15, all 10 IPL teams revealed their lists of retained and released players. A total of 173 players have been retained by the teams ahead of IPL 2026 auction, including 49 overseas players.

Punjab Kings (PBKS), the runners-up of the last season, have retained the 21 players – the most by any team, while Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) are next on the list with 20 retentions each in their squad, which can have a maximum of 25 players.

A total of 77 player slots will be available during IPL 2026 auction, out of which, there are 31 slots for overseas players. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who have retained the least number of players (12), have the maximum salary purse available at INR 64.30 crores. On the other hand, MI have the least salary purse available at INR 2.75 crores.

When and where will the IPL 2026 auction take place?

In an official statement on Sunday, November 16, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the schedule for IPL 2026 auction. The event will take place on December 16, 2025 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, making it the third consecutive auction which will be held outside India.

Meanwhile, KKR (13) and SRH (10) have the maximum number of player slots available in their squads, and both teams will be looking forward to acquiring big names in the auction. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are next with nine available slots.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, ten players also shifted teams through trade deals. The biggest trade deal witnessed Ravindra Jadeja joining RR along with Sam Curran, while Sanju Samson moved to CSK.

Mohammed Shami moving to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) from SRH was another notable trade that caught the attention of many IPL fans. Seam all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who played for LSG last season, will represent MI in IPL 2026, while Nitish Rana will feature for Delhi Capitals (DC), having played for RR in 2025.

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