The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction is underway at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, with 10 franchises competing to fill 77 squad slots, including 31 overseas player spots. The auction has already seen intense bidding action as teams target top stars like Cameron Green, Venkatesh Iyer, Liam Livingstone, Sarfaraz Khan, and more.
Biggest Purses and Vacancies
Kolkata Knight Riders lead the pack with the largest remaining purse of INR 64.30 crore and 13 open slots. Chennai Super Kings follow with INR 43.40 crore at their disposal. Other franchises, including the Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals, and Gujarat Titans, are also actively strategizing to strengthen their squads.
Key Bids and Foreign Stars
Several overseas players have been the center of attention, including Devon Conway, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Wanindu Hasaranga, Quinton de Kock, and Finn Allen. The auction has already seen some notable trades and releases, such as Arjun Tendulkar moving from the Mumbai Indians to the Lucknow Super Giants.
Indian Players Making Headlines
Sarfaraz Khan has caught the eye of franchises with a blistering 22-ball 73 in the SMAT Super League stage matches in Pune, prompting speculation over bidding wars for the Mumbai batter.
Team Updates So Far
Mumbai Indians
- Released: Arjun Tendulkar (to LSG), Bevon Jacobs, Karn Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Reece Topley, among others
- Retained: Shardul Thakur (from LSG), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Will Jacks
- Remaining purse: INR 2.75 crore
Lucknow Super Giants
- Released: Aryan Juyal, David Miller, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur (to MI), others
- Retained: KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami (from SRH), Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram
- Remaining purse: INR 22.95 crore
Kolkata Knight Riders
- Released: Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Venkatesh Iyer
- Retained: Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Rovman Powell, Varun Chakravarthy
- Remaining purse: INR 64.30 crore
Chennai Super Kings
- Released: Ravindra Jadeja (to RR), Deepak Hooda, Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana
- Retained: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (from RR), Shivam Dube
- Remaining purse: INR 43.40 crore
Gujarat Titans
- Released: Sherfane Rutherford (to MI), Dasun Shanaka, Gerald Coetzee
- Retained: Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj
- Remaining purse: INR 12.90 crore
Delhi Capitals
- Released: Faf du Plessis, Donovan Ferreira (to RR), Jake Fraser-McGurk
- Retained: KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Nitish Rana (from RR), Mitchell Starc
- Remaining purse: INR 21.80 crore
The auction is expected to continue with high-profile players and uncapped talents drawing bids throughout the day. Fans can follow live updates and reactions as franchises finalize their squads for the 2026 IPL season.
