When will the IPL 2026 auction start? Auction and streaming details: Indian cricket fans eagerly await the IPL auction like no other player draft for any other tournament. In India, cricket is a religion, and the IPL is one of its biggest festivals.
In this context, the mini-auction for the upcoming IPL 2026 season will be held on December 16th at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. A total of 359 players will participate in the IPL auction, on whom bids will be placed. These players have been finalized by all 10 teams.
All 10 franchises have a total of 77 slots available, including 31 slots for foreign players. Each team can have a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25 players. It’s also worth noting that no team will have the Right to Match (RTM) card option in this mini-auction. So, let’s find out everything you need to know before the upcoming IPL auction:
When and where to watch the IPL 2026 auction?
The IPL 2026 mini-auction will be live-streamed on the app and website, while its television broadcast will be available on the Star Sports network.
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When will the IPL 2026 auction start?
The IPL 2026 mini-auction will begin on December 16th at 2:30 PM (IST) at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
What is the ₹18 crore rule?
This is due to the IPL’s ‘maximum fee’ rule, which limits a foreign player’s mini-auction salary to the lower of these two values: the highest retention slab for the season (₹18 crore) or the highest price from the previous mega auction (₹27 crore paid for Rishabh Pant). To understand this, consider that even if a team signs Cameron Green for 25 crore rupees, the remaining 7 crore rupees will go back to the BCCI, as the maximum payment limit for a foreign player is 18 crore rupees.
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