The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season is gearing up with all 10 franchises having finalized their player retention, release, and trade decisions before the November 15 deadline. A total of 173 players, including 49 international stars, have been retained across the teams. This leaves a substantial purse of INR 237.55 crore available for the upcoming auction, where 77 player slots need to be filled. The IPL 2026 player auction is scheduled to take place on December 16th in Abu Dhabi. Notably, some high-profile players like Matheesha Pathirana (CSK), Andre Russell (KKR), and Ravi Bishnoi (LSG) will enter the auction pool after being released by their respective franchises. Punjab Kings have retained the most players with 21, while Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans have kept 20 players each. The trade window remains open, offering teams another opportunity to adjust their squads before the auction.
