Abu Dhabi to Host IPL Auction on December 16, 2025

IPL 2026 Auction: Abu Dhabi to Host IPL Auction on December 16, 2025

This will be the third successive year when the IPL auction is being held overseas. The 2024 auction in Dubai was the first time it was held overseas. The two-day mega auction for the 2025 season was held in Jeddah in November 2024.

The 2026 IPL auction is set for December 16 in Abu Dhabi, marking the third straight year the event will be held overseas. The trend began with the 2024 auction in Dubai, followed by the 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. Unlike the two-day format used for mega auctions, the 2026 edition will be a mini auction and wrapped up in a single day.

Before the auction, franchises must submit their list of retained and released players from the 2025 squads by 3 pm IST on November 15. Once that’s done, they’ll receive a registered pool of players to shortlist from. This long list will then be trimmed down to form the final auction pool.

The trading window, which opened after IPL 2025, will remain active until a week before the auction. It will then reopen and continue until a month before the 2026 season begins. However, teams cannot trade players who will be part of the 2026 auction pool.

So far, four trades have been confirmed involving five franchises. The biggest headline-grabber is Chennai Super Kings acquiring Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals in exchange for the allrounder duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran arguably the most high-profile swap in IPL history. Mumbai Indians also made moves, buying Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants for INR 2 crore and Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans for INR 2.60 crore. In a separate deal, LSG picked up Arjun Tendulkar from MI at his base price of INR 30 lakh.

The tentative window for IPL 2026 is from March 15 to May 31, setting the stage for another exciting season of cricket and team reshuffles.