IPL 2026 Auction in Abu Dhabi: Full Details For Fans

The build-up is finally over for the IPL 2026 mini auction, which will take place on 16 December 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Franchises have spent weeks debating retentions, trades and possible targets, and now everything comes down to one afternoon in the UAE.​

For this edition, the event has been booked at Etihad Arena, a familiar venue now for IPL officials and team owners. It is a compact, one-day auction but the decisions taken here will shape how teams look and play when the 2026 season begins.​

The auction is scheduled to start at 2:30 PM IST, which means fans in India can tune in from mid-afternoon and follow the entire show after lunch. Local time in Abu Dhabi is earlier, so team analysts will be busy from late morning itself as the first set of players goes under the hammer.​

In India, television coverage will once again be on the Star Sports network, with full studio build-up and expert panels around the bids. Viewers who prefer to watch on mobile or laptop can stream the auction on JioCinema / JioHotstar, where every successful and failed bid is shown almost instantly.​

Across the ten franchises, the combined auction purse is a little over ₹237 crore, spread unevenly depending on how much each team spent and whom they released. There are 77 squad spots open, including overseas places, so not everyone in the long auction list will find a contract this time.​

Kolkata Knight Riders come in with the biggest balance and the most room to rebuild, while sides like Mumbai Indians arrive with far smaller budgets and only a handful of gaps to fill. That contrast alone should make the bidding fascinating, because one aggressive move from a cash-rich team can force others to rethink their plans on the spot.

Mohit Tiwari

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