The IPL 2026 mini auction takes place today, December 16, 2025, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Key personnel from all ten franchises attend to finalize squads after retentions and trades.
Kolkata Knight Riders hold the largest remaining purse of ₹64.3 crore to fill up to 13 slots. Chennai Super Kings follow with ₹43.4 crore for a maximum of nine slots, giving them strong buying power.

KKR promoted Abhishek Nayar as head coach after Chandrakant Pandit's resignation, adding Tim Southee as bowling coach and Shane Watson as assistant. Rajasthan Royals reappointed Kumar Sangakkara as head coach following Rahul Dravid's exit. Lucknow Super Giants hired Bharat Arun as bowling coach and Carl Crowe as spin consultant. This single-day mini auction follows overseas events in Dubai (2024) and Jeddah (2025), with a total team purse of ₹237.55 crore.
A significant number of important personnel will be present at the auction in Abu Dhabi. The coaches, mentors, and some teams may also have their captains at the auction centre and engage in the bidding process. Shreyas Iyer, the Punjab Kings captain, has already reached the venue, while KKR will be represented by Venky Mysore, Jahnvi Mehta among the big names.