IPL 2026 Mini Auction: SRH, RCB and Other Teams Enjoy Eye-Opening Budgets

The IPL 2026 mini auction is approaching fast and unbelievably so, the fans are really looking forward to it! The auction is prepared to happen on December 16 at the legendary Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, starting at 2:30 PM IST. The activity will cover two thrilling days and will include both players with contracts and those without, while the presenters are in charge of the bidding rounds.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has published the complete finalized list of 350 players obtained through a filtering process from more than 1,355 applicants. What is surprising though, is the last-minute addition of 25 newly signed players to this list, including the South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock who has initially announced his retirement from international cricket and, hence, was not on the list. After A phenomenal century in his last ODI against India, de Kock has made his way back, and he is now available for IPL auction. He even set his base price at the top of the 1 crore INR bracket, down from 2 crores in which he was in the last mega auction, thus making him a very tempting choice for franchises.

Along with, the auction, there is an expectation of a good performance during the bidding rounds for the likes of Dunith Wellalage, Traven Mathew, Binura Fernando, and Kushal Perera who are all from Sri Lanka and coming among the notable players.

The Funds and the Team Strategy

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the rest of the teams are heading for the auction equipped with heavy cash. As a matter of fact, Kolkata Knight Riders have a leftover budget of ₹64.3 crore, primarily due to the release of nine players before the mini auction. Chennai Super Kings have ₹43.4 crore, whereas SRH is only left with ₹25.5 crore.

This year’s mini auction has 77 slots in total, out of which 31 are for international players. The accelerated rounds are the ones where the franchises can bid for players who are placed from 71 to 350 and, thus, the excitement level gets increased. This scenario is a promise of cutthroat competition, unexpected surprises, and a lot of sweating moments for the fans and teams together.

The season of IPL 2026 is already looking like one that would be full of strong performances, breathtaking twists, and high-stakes battles. The franchises would leave no stone unturned in their quest to make their teams more powerful, thus making this edition one of the most unpredictable and thrilling tournaments ever.