IPL 2026 Auction: Purse Size, Player Sets, Slots, Venue and Timings — All You Need to Know

The IPL 2026 mini-auction set to take place on December 16, will be a turning point for the franchises who are looking to make small adjustments in their teams more than starting all over again. Teams will have to fill narrow roles with limited funds, hence the need for early bidding is critical.

This mini-auction, unlike a mega auction, is all about accuracy. Franchises are not blindly pursuing star names but rather targeting with precision around the requirements, where there's almost no margin for error. The auction procedure enables the team to identify the major players and the key positions very soon in the day since there are still more players than available positions.

What is the date and location of the IPL 2026 mini-auction?

The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The auction will commence at 2:30 PM IST. The live coverage will be available for the Indian viewers on Star Sports and JioHotstar.

Key numbers at a glance

Players shortlisted: 359 across 42 sets

Total slots available: 77 across 10 franchises, including 31 overseas slots

Player composition: 244 Indian players and 115 overseas players

Although as many as 1,355 players registered for the auction, only 359 finalists actually made to the list,- driving home the point that earning the limited spots was indeed a real cut-throat contest there and then.

How the auction is structured

The sets, comprising 42 in total, have been sorted according to the players' roles and then by capped or uncapped status and price brackets. The first set will feature the major players in the auction.

Two structural patterns will shape the auction flow:

Premium players upfront:

Sets 1–5 and 11–14 include approximately 40 of the 49 superstar players, which guarantees that the most lucrative and fierce bidding conflicts will take place at the very beginning.

Low-base scramble at the end:

The final eight sets include 81 players, mostly uncapped and priced at the minimum base of ₹30 lakh. This is where teams are expected to quickly wrap up their squads.

Base price breakdown

The base-price structure explains why bidding usually cools down after the initial excitement:

40 players at ₹2 crore

9 at ₹1.15 crore, 4 at ₹1.25 crore, 17 at ₹1 crore

44 at ₹75 lakh

4 at ₹50 lakh and 7 at ₹40 lakh

234 players at the minimum base price of ₹30 lakh

Role-wise player availability

The role distribution indicates possible oversupply in certain categories:

All-rounders: 139

Fast bowlers: 92

Batters: 47

Spinners: 43

Wicketkeepers: 38

Pace bowlers and multi-skill players are largely overseas, while specialist batters and spinners are predominantly Indian.

Squad rules and overseas salary cap

Franchises have a roster limit of up to 25 players, where maximum of 8 can be international players and a minimum of 18 is compulsory.

One important financial rule is still in effect: ₹18 crore is the maximum salary for an overseas player, even if the highest bidder is willing to pay more than that. If two teams are at a stalemate with their final bid because of budget restrictions, they can submit an anonymous tie-break bid to the BCCI. The extra bid amount goes to the BCCI and is not taken into account when calculating the salary cap.

Team-wise purse and slots remaining

KKR: ₹64.30 crore (13 slots)

CSK: ₹43.40 crore (9 slots)

SRH: ₹25.50 crore (10 slots)

LSG: ₹22.95 crore (6 slots)

DC: ₹21.80 crore (8 slots)

RCB: ₹16.40 crore (8 slots)

RR: ₹16.05 crore (9 slots)

GT: ₹12.90 crore (5 slots)

PBKS: ₹11.50 crore (4 slots)

MI: ₹2.75 crore (5 slots)

With the biggest purses, KKR and CSK are well placed to control the auction dynamics. SRH, DC and LSG can push hard for select targets, while Mumbai Indians are expected to focus on budget buys to complete their squad unless a surprise bargain emerges.