The players’ auction for IPL 2026 will take place in the coming days. The event will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and will begin at 2:30 PM (Indian time). All franchises have finalised their strategies. As this is a mini auction, every team has a limited purse. Several big names such as Cameron Green, Venkatesh Iyer, and Liam Livingstone are part of the auction pool, and they are expected to attract big bids.
369 Players Shortlisted for the Auction
A total of 1,390 players registered for the IPL 2026 auction. Initially, 350 players were shortlisted, and now 19 more names have been added to the list, taking the total to 369. Abhimanyu Easwaran is also among the newly added players. A maximum of 77 players will be bought in the auction, including up to 31 overseas players. Kolkata Knight Riders need the most players (13) and also have the biggest purse among all teams.
Also Read: IPL 2026 Mini Auction: Team-Wise Retention, Releases & Purse Analysis
Newly Shortlisted Players
Abhimanyu Easwaran (Bengal), Mani Shankar Mura Singh (Tripura), Veerandeep Singh (Malaysia), Chama Milind (Hyderabad), KL Shrijith (Karnataka), Ethan Bosch (South Africa), Chris Green (Australia), Swastik Chikara (Uttar Pradesh), Rahul Raj Namala (Uttarakhand), Virat Singh (Jharkhand), Tripuresh Singh (Madhya Pradesh), Kyle Verreynne (South Africa), Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe), Ben Sears (New Zealand), Rajesh Mohanty (Odisha), Swastik Samal (Odisha), Saransh Jain (Madhya Pradesh), Suraj Sangaraju (Andhra), and Tanmay Agarwal (Hyderabad).
Players Required by Each Team
| Franchise | Players Needed | Overseas Players |
|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | 9 | 4 |
| Delhi Capitals | 8 | 5 |
| Gujarat Titans | 5 | 4 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 13 | 6 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 6 | 4 |
| Mumbai Indians | 5 | 1 |
| Punjab Kings | 4 | 2 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 9 | 1 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 8 | 2 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 10 | 2 |
Remaining Purse of Each Team
| Team | Amount (₹ crore) |
|---|---|
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 64.3 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 43.4 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 25.5 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 22.95 |
| Delhi Capitals | 21.8 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 16.4 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 16.05 |
| Gujarat Titans | 12.9 |
| Punjab Kings | 11.5 |
| Mumbai Indians | 2.75 |
RTM Card Will Not Be Used
In the IPL 2025 auction, franchises had the option to use the RTM (Right to Match) card. However, this option will not be available in the IPL 2026 auction. The RTM card is only allowed during mega auctions. Franchises had also used the RTM option in this season’s Women’s Premier League. The RTM card allows a franchise to buy back a released player during the auction by matching the highest bid.