The IPL 2026 mini-auction is set for a high-stakes showdown in Abu Dhabi on December 16, with 350 players shortlisted, but only 77 slots open across ten franchises. With teams entering the event with varied purse balances and specific role targets, the competition for key players is expected to be extremely intense.
The auction begins at 2:30 PM IST, and with such a massive player pool fighting for limited vacancies, top names—both capped and uncapped—are likely to trigger aggressive bidding battles. Notably, several franchises have multiple specialist positions to fill, increasing the pressure on decision-making tables.
With the player count far outweighing the available slots, over 250 players will go unsold, making this one of the most selective mini-auctions in recent years.
