As the deadline of November 15, 2025, approaches, all ten IPL franchises are working diligently to finalize their lists of retained and released players for the upcoming 2026 season. Several trades have already been completed, adding to the anticipation surrounding the official announcements. The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
Unlike mega auctions, the IPL 2026 mini-auction does not impose strict limitations on the number of players a franchise can retain. Teams can retain as many players as they wish, provided they adhere to league regulations, maintain a squad size of 18 to 25 players, and stay within the ₹120 crore salary cap.
Several prominent players are rumored to be on the release list. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are expected to release Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for a hefty sum of ₹23.75 crore, along with Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje. Punjab Kings (PBKS) may release Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Hardie. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is expected to release Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar and Jamie Overton.
Several trades are making headlines. Sanju Samson is reportedly set to join Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from Rajasthan Royals (RR), with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran potentially moving to RR in return. Mumbai Indians (MI) have reportedly traded Arjun Tendulkar to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). MI has also acquired Shardul Thakur from LSG and Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans (GT). Mohammed Shami (Sunrisers Hyderabad) is also expected to join Lucknow Super Giants.
If KKR releases Iyer, De Kock, and Nortje, they could have around ₹40 crore available for the auction, potentially targeting Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. The pre-auction trade window is already open, allowing teams to actively reshape their squads. Teams can engage in player trades even after the retention deadline. The trading window initially opened on June 4, following the IPL 2025 final, and will remain open until a week before the IPL 2026 auction. After the auction, the window will reopen for 30 days before the start of the next season.
For the IPL 2026 mini-auction, the salary cap is ₹151 crore per franchise. A new pay model will be implemented, where players receive their auction price plus a match fee of ₹7.5 lakh per game. The absence of the Right to Match (RTM) card this season means that all players entering the auction pool will be subject to open bidding, without franchises having guaranteed buy-back options.
The retention announcements will be broadcast live on Star Sports channels from 5 PM IST on November 15. Live streaming will also be available on the JioStar app and website.
