IPL 2026 Auction Players List: The excitement for the IPL 2026 Auction is building as cricket fans worldwide await to see which players their favorite teams will retain, release, or newly acquire. The IPL auction always brings surprises, record-breaking bids, and emerging talents ready to shine on the big stage.
IPL 2026 Auction Overview
The IPL 2026 Auction promises to be one of the most thrilling events in cricket. All ten franchises are preparing their player retention lists and scouting new domestic and international stars to strengthen their squads. With several high-profile players entering the auction pool, fierce bidding wars are expected.
IPL 2026 Auction
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Event Name | IPL 2026 Player Auction |
| Organizer | Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) |
| Expected Date | December 2025 |
| Format | Mini Auction |
| Venue | To Be Announced |
| Broadcast | Star Sports & JioCinema |
| Total Teams | 10 |
| Total Players Expected | Around 400–500 |
| Purse Limit (Tentative) | ₹100 crore per team |
IPL 2026 Retained Players List (Tentative)
| Team | Key Retained Players |
|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande |
| Mumbai Indians (MI) | Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Mohammed Siraj |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine |
| Delhi Capitals (DC) | Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav |
| Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Trent Boult |
| Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi |
| Gujarat Titans (GT) | Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan |
| Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Shikhar Dhawan, Arshdeep Singh, Sam Curran |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar |
Top Players Likely to Be in IPL 2026 Auction Pool
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Indian Stars | Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Prithvi Shaw |
| Overseas Powerhouses | David Warner, Wanindu Hasaranga, Quinton de Kock |
| Emerging Talents | Riyan Parag, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Nehal Wadhera |
| Released Big Names | Ben Stokes, Dinesh Karthik, Deepak Chahar |
IPL 2026 Auction Players List
1. High-Profile Players Likely to Be in the IPL 2026 Auction
| Player | Potential Interest From | Reason for Entering Auction (Predicted) |
|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson | Delhi Capitals (rumored) | Disagreements with Rajasthan Royals management |
| Ishan Kishan | KKR, MI | Likely release by SRH due to budget constraints |
| Venkatesh Iyer | RCB, SRH | Underperformed in IPL 2025 for KKR |
| KL Rahul | DC | Trade speculation after Delhi stint |
| Glenn Maxwell | CSK, GT | Poor form in 2025, likely PBKS release |
| Liam Livingstone | MI, LSG | Underwhelming 2025 season for RCB |
| David Warner | Open interest | Redemption after being unsold in 2025 |
| Kane Williamson | Open interest | Unsold in 2025; strong comeback season |
| Jonny Bairstow | Open interest | Missed 2025, eyeing return |
| Steve Smith | Open interest | Seeking IPL return after absence |
| Cameron Green | Multiple teams | Missed 2025 due to injury, now fit and in form |
2. IPL Auction Pool 2026 – Team-Wise Expected Released Players
| Team | Likely Released Players |
|---|---|
| CSK | Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran, Devon Conway |
| DC | T Natarajan, Mitchell Starc, Dushmanta Chameera, Mohit Sharma |
| GT | Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Karim Janat, Ishant Sharma |
| KKR | Venkatesh Iyer, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Spencer Johnson |
| LSG | Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, David Miller |
| MI | Tilak Varma, Reece Topley, Will Jacks, Mujeeb Ur Rahman |
| PBKS | Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Azmatullah Omarzai, Aaron Hardie |
| RR | Sanju Samson*, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer |
| RCB | Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Salam, Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert |
| SRH | Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Shami, Adam Zampa, Abhinav Manohar |
3. Big International Names Returning to IPL 2026 Auction
| Player | Country | Base Price (₹) | Chance of Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner | Australia | 2 Cr | Very High |
| Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 2 Cr | Very High |
| Jonny Bairstow | England | 2 Cr | High |
| Steve Smith | Australia | 2 Cr | High |
| Cameron Green | Australia | — | Very High |
| Daryl Mitchell | New Zealand | 2 Cr | High |
| Adil Rashid | England | 2 Cr | Medium |
| Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe | 1.25 Cr | High |
| Michael Bracewell | New Zealand | 1.5 Cr | Medium |
| Finn Allen | New Zealand | 2 Cr | High |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Afghanistan | 2 Cr | Medium |
| Shardul Thakur | India | 2 Cr | Very High |
| Prithvi Shaw | India | 75 L | Very High |
| Sarfaraz Khan | India | 75 L | High |
| Shivam Mavi | India | 75 L | High |
| Kyle Jamieson | New Zealand | 1.5 Cr | Medium |
| Dwaine Pretorius | South Africa | 75 L | Medium |
| Ben Duckett | England | 2 Cr | Medium |
4. Indian Players with Strong Domestic & IPL Background
| Player | Base Price (₹) | Chance of Return | Reason / Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prithvi Shaw | 75 L | Very High | Explosive opener; second chance likely |
| Sarfaraz Khan | 75 L | High | Consistent domestic scorer |
| Shivam Mavi | 75 L | High | Indian pacer with good T20 potential |
| Navdeep Saini | 75 L | Medium | Experienced but inconsistent |
| Mayank Agarwal | 1 Cr | High | Experienced IPL top-order batter |
| Umesh Yadav | 2 Cr | Medium | Senior pacer, useful backup |
| Chetan Sakariya | 75 L | Medium | Left-arm pacer option |
| Ripal Patel | 30 L | Low-Medium | Handy T20 finisher |
| Rishi Dhawan | 30 L | Medium | All-rounder with domestic form |
5. Players Unlikely to Return in IPL 2026 Auction
| Player | Base Price (₹) | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Jordan | 2 Cr | Out of form; no recent success |
| Adam Milne | 2 Cr | Injury-prone |
| Gus Atkinson | 2 Cr | Focusing on international cricket |
| Kyle Mayers | 1.5 Cr | Decline in T20 form |
| Pathum Nissanka | 75 L | Not a big-hitting T20 profile |
6. What Makes IPL 2026 Auction Special
- Comeback Stories – David Warner, Kane Williamson, and Jonny Bairstow will aim for redemption.
- Indian Core Expansion – Domestic talents like Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan may return stronger.
- Tactical Spending – Teams expected to focus on all-rounders and finishers.
- Higher Purse Limit – Each team is expected to get a purse of ₹151 crore, up from last season.
- RCB’s Title Defense – The defending champions’ strategy could shape the tone of the 2026 season.
What to Expect from IPL 2026 Auction
The 2026 IPL auction could witness the return of several overseas players who missed previous seasons due to international commitments. With increased purse limits and team flexibility, franchises are expected to invest heavily in all-rounders and death-bowling specialists.
IPL 2026 Player Buying Rules
| Rule | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Player Purse Limit | Each franchise will have a total purse of ₹100 crore to build their squad for IPL 2026. |
| 2. Retention Cap | Teams can retain a maximum of 4 players (up to 3 Indian and 2 overseas players). |
| 3. Right to Match (RTM) | Each team can use 2 RTM cards during the auction to re-sign previously released players. |
| 4. Squad Size | A franchise can have a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25 players in their squad. |
| 5. Overseas Player Limit | Only 8 overseas players can be part of the squad, with a maximum of 4 in the playing XI. |
| 6. Uncapped Players | Franchises can buy uncapped Indian players at a minimum base price of ₹20 lakh. |
| 7. Bidding Process | The auction follows an open ascending bid format, managed by the BCCI auctioneer. |
| 8. Replacement Rule | If a player is injured or unavailable, teams can sign a replacement with BCCI approval. |
| 9. Trading Window | Teams can trade players before and after the auction within the official BCCI window. |
| 10. Salary Cap Compliance | Franchises must stay within the salary cap — penalties apply for any breach. |
FAQs
1. When will the IPL 2026 auction take place?
The IPL 2026 auction is expected to be held in December 2025, most likely in Mumbai. The exact date will be officially announced by the BCCI closer to the event.
2. Is IPL 2026 a mega auction or a mini auction?
The 2026 edition will be a mini-auction, meaning teams will retain most of their core players and focus on filling specific gaps in their squads.
3. How much is the team purse for the IPL 2026 auction?
Each franchise is expected to have a ₹151 crore purse, a slight increase from the 2025 auction limit.
4. What is the player retention limit for IPL 2026?
Teams can retain or use the Right To Match (RTM) option on up to six players before the auction.
5. Which players are expected to attract the highest bids in IPL 2026?
Top names likely to attract heavy bids include David Warner, Cameron Green, Prithvi Shaw, Shardul Thakur, and Kane Williamson.
6. Which teams are expected to release key players?
Teams like Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Punjab Kings may release a few high-value players who underperformed in IPL 2025.
7. Will any big international stars return for IPL 2026?
Yes. Players such as Warner, Bairstow, Williamson, and Steve Smith are expected to re-enter the auction after missing the 2025 season.
8. How can fans watch the IPL 2026 auction live?
The IPL 2026 auction will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network and streamed on JioCinema (India).
9. Will RCB retain their core team after winning IPL 2025?
RCB is likely to retain their championship-winning core, including Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Mohammed Siraj, while strengthening their bowling unit.
10. What makes the IPL 2026 auction special?
The 2026 auction marks the start of a new competitive cycle — with comeback players, higher team budgets, and fresh talent from domestic cricket, it promises intense bidding and strategic surprises.
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