The IPL 2026 auction will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. The one-day event will begin at 1 pm local time (2.30 pm IST).

A total of 77 slots are up for grabs, including 31 overseas positions. Kolkata Knight Riders enters the auction with the highest number of vacancies at 13, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad with 10.

As this is a mini-auction, there will be no marquee set. Instead, players have been grouped into category-based sets, and the auction will begin with capped batters before moving through other skill groups such as all-rounders and bowlers.

While the IPL does not disclose the exact order in which players will be presented, the opening phase is structured by category rather than individual names. As a result, it is possible to know the type of player who will go under the hammer first, but not the specific player, whose name is revealed only when the auctioneer opens proceedings.

Published on Dec 16, 2025