Who Will Shine? IPL 2026 Mini Auction Set for December 16
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena hosts IPL 2026 auction with 77 slots. Top players like Bishnoi & Iyer ready, while stars like Faf, Maxwell, Ashwin skip.
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The Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi is set to host the IPL 2026 mini auction on December 16, where 10 franchises will be fighting over 77 player slots, among which are 31 spots for overseas players. The Kolkata Knight Riders are coming in with the biggest war chest of Rs 64.3 crore, which will allow them to bid aggressively, and the Mumbai Indians on the other hand have a small amount of ₹2.75 crore, which will make it difficult for them, thus increasing the need for tactical maneuvering and surprise signings.
1,355 cricketers have been registered for the auction, out of which 45 players have been given a top base price of Rs 2 crore. Indian cricketers, Ravi Bishnoi and Venkatesh Iyer, are among the 45 players. The teams like Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, who have been not dominating in the last few seasons, are looking to do major changes in their squads to make them stronger.
The mini auction will not have some of the most sought-after players due to retirement or commitment to other leagues. The former CSK, RCB, and Delhi Capitals player, South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, will not participate in the IPL 2026 as he will be playing in the Pakistan Super League. Besides him, Cheteshwar Pujara will also not be hitting the auction market because after his retirement from all formats he is going to take a break.
Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian veteran cricketer, has retired from Indian cricket and thus is not available for the bidding, after a mixed IPL 2025 season and off-field controversies. Likewise, the West Indies’ Andre Russell has declared his retirement from playing but has joined Kolkata Knight Riders as a ‘Power Coach’.
Moeen Ali, the England all-rounder, has chosen the PSL over the IPL while the Australian player Glenn Maxwell has been released by Punjab Kings and thus he will not take part in the auction. Both Indian fast bowlers Mohit Sharma and Amit Mishra have announced their retirement and that is the reason why they are not being considered for the auction.
Franchises are going to fight the bidding wars in the mini auction as they plan for the acquisition of talents with different budgets. The major leagues in the auction for the best overseas talents and expensive Indian players are expected to be quite aggressive.
