IPL 2026 Auction Scheduled in Abu Dhabi on December 16
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction is set to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. This will mark the third consecutive year the IPL auction is hosted overseas, continuing the trend established in 2024 and 2025. The 2026 auction will follow the one-day mini-auction format familiar to franchises and fans alike.
Key Auction Preparations and Player Lists
Before the auction, all ten IPL franchises must submit their final retention and release lists from their 2025 squads to the IPL governing council by 3:00 PM IST on November 15. The council then circulates a registered pool of players eligible for the auction. Teams shortlist players from this pool to finalize their auction targets.
Important Trades Ahead of the Auction
Several high-profile player trades have been confirmed ahead of the 2026 auction:
- Shardul Thakur moved from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to Mumbai Indians (MI) for ₹2 crore.
- Arjun Tendulkar transferred from MI to LSG for ₹30 lakh.
- Sherfane Rutherford shifted from Gujarat Titans (GT) to MI for ₹2.6 crore.
- Player exchanges between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) involved Sanju Samson moving to CSK, with RR acquiring Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
- Mohammed Shami transferred from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to LSG for ₹10 crore.
These trades reflect strategic squad adjustments ahead of the mini auction and the upcoming IPL season.
IPL 2026 Player Trading Window
According to IPL rules, the player trading window opens one month after the previous season ends and closes one week before the auction. For IPL 2026, the window opened on June 14, 2025, and will close on December 8, 2025. It will reopen immediately after the auction and continue until one month before the start of the 2026 season. Importantly, no player purchased during the 2025 auction cycle is allowed to be traded in this window.
IPL 2026 Season Window
The IPL 2026 season is tentatively scheduled to run from March 15 to May 31, promising an exciting two-and-a-half-month cricketing spectacle for fans worldwide.