IPL 2026: What time will auction start?
(Courtesy : BCCI)
IPL 2026 auction will take place on Tuesday (December 16) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The stage is all set for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction. The bidding war will be taking place on Tuesday, December 16, in Abu Dhabi and all the franchises must have entered the Gulf country on the back of solid strategies.
As many as 350 players will be going under the hammer to fill the 77 available slots. A total of 240 Indians, along with 110 overseas players, will be there in the auction, which will see the majority of uncapped players – 230 Indian and 10 uncapped players – going under the hammer.
IPL 2026 auction will be a mini-auction with the majority of the teams entering into the event with a settled side and only a few areas to cover. However, two teams in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be amongst the busiest as they released quite a few players before the IPL 2026 auction.
KKR will be entering the IPL 2026 auction with the highest purse of INR 64.3 crore with 13 slots to fill. CSK will not be far behind as they have a purse of INR 43.4 crore. Mumbai Indians (MI) will have the lowest purse of 2.75 crore.
What time will the IPL 2026 auction start?
IPL 2026 auction will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The event will begin at 2:30 PM IST. And with some of the big names set to go under the hammer, it is expected to be a blockbuster clash.
All 359 players have been divided into 42 sets. The set 1 of players will be something that will be on the radar of many teams as it comprises players in Cameron Green, David Miller and Prithvi Shaw.
Also, this time around, a salary cap rule has been introduced as well. An overseas player won’t get more than INR 18 crore and if their bid crosses more than that, then the remaining amount will go to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in their development player programme.
This will also be the third time that the IPL auction will take place outside India. The last two auctions took place in Dubai and Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah
When and where will IPL 2026 auction take place?
IPL 2026 auction will take place on Tuesday (December 16) at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
How many players will go under the hammer in IPL 2026 auction?
As many as 359 players will be going under the hammer to fill the 77 available slots in IPL 2026 auction.
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Ankitjit Singh is a dedicated sports journalist whose childhood dream was to play cricket—now, he serves the game through his work. With over three years of experience in reporting, writing, and editing, he brings deep insight to his coverage. A journalism graduate from Delhi University, Ankitjit’s passion for cricket took root during his college days and continues to drive his career.