TL;DR
- IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16; teams finalize core retentions.
- Franchises have varying purse amounts and player retention limits for IPL 2026.
- Player trades involve swaps or cash transactions, occurring between season end and auction.
- Hardik Pandya's move to Mumbai Indians and Avesh Khan/Devdutt Padikkal exchange are examples.
With the IPL 2026 mini-auction approaching, teams are set to finalize their core retentions before entering the event to assemble a strong squad.
On December 16, an auction is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, following the prior event held in Saudi Arabia.
Here's all you need to know about the auction rules.
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For the IPL 2026 auction, what is the financial limit each franchise can spend?
| Team | No. Of players | Purse amount for IPL 2026 auction (INR) |
| Chennai Super Kings | 16 | 43.40 crore |
| Delhi Capitals | 17 | 21.80 crore |
| Gujarat Titans | 20 | 12.90 crore |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 12 | 64.30 crore |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 19 | 22.95 crore |
| Mumbai Indians | 20 | 2.75 crore |
| Punjab Kings | 21 | 11.50 crore |
| Rajasthan Royals | 16 | 16.05 crore |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 17 | 16.40 crore |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 15 | 25.50 crore |
MORE: IPL 2026 released players list: All players not retained by teams before IPL 2026 mini auction
A team can purchase a maximum of __PLH_NUM_PLAYERS__ players in the IPL 2026 auction.
For the IPL 2026 season, each of the 10 franchises is permitted to assemble a roster ranging from 18 to 25 players. The total number of players a team can acquire is calculated by subtracting their retained players from the 25-player maximum. Furthermore, no team is allowed to include more than 8 foreign players.
| Team | No. Of players retained | Spots remaining | Overseas spots remaining |
| Chennai Super Kings | 16 | 9 | 4 |
| Delhi Capitals | 17 | 6 | 5 |
| Gujarat Titans | 20 | 5 | 4 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 12 | 13 | 6 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 19 | 6 | 4 |
| Mumbai Indians | 20 | 5 | 1 |
| Punjab Kings | 21 | 4 | 2 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 16 | 9 | 1 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 17 | 8 | 2 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 15 | 10 | 2 |
IPL trades between franchises occur through a specific process.
In the IPL, a player trade signifies a cricketer moving to a different team without needing to participate in the auction again. This typically occurs via one of two mechanisms: a player swap, where franchises exchange athletes, or a cash transaction, where one club compensates another for a player's move.
The trading window typically becomes available approximately one month following the conclusion of the IPL season, remaining open until a week prior to the subsequent auction. It then reopens and remains accessible until roughly one month before the tournament's commencement.
MORE: IPL 2026 mini auction: Remaining purses and budgets listed
When a franchise acquires a player in a one-way transaction, they compensate the selling team with an amount comparable to the cricketer's prior auction price. In the case of a player exchange, the involved parties determine the financial adjustment based on the price disparity between the two athletes.
A significant instance occurred when Hardik Pandya rejoined Mumbai Indians before the IPL 2024 season, having previously been with Gujarat Titans. Reports suggest Mumbai compensated Gujarat with the all-rounder's initial auction price along with a transfer charge.
In a similar move, Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals executed a bilateral exchange featuring Avesh Khan and Devdutt Padikkal, with Lucknow also contributing an additional ₹2.25 crore to equalize the transaction.
The IPL trade window's duration is not specified in the provided text.
Under IPL rules, the trading period commences right after a season ends and stays open until seven days before the auction. It will then reopen a month before the subsequent season begins. Nevertheless, players acquired during the IPL 2026 mini-auction are ineligible for trading.
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