The IPL 2026 mini-auction, scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi, is generating considerable buzz, especially regarding the potential use of the 'Right to Match' (RTM) card by franchises. As teams strategize to fill the 77 available slots with a pool of 350 players, the question of whether they can leverage the RTM card to retain released players remains a key point of discussion.
Recent reports suggest that the Right to Match card will not be available for franchises in the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Typically, the RTM card allows teams to buy back their own released players by matching the highest bid made by another team during the auction. However, this feature is generally reserved for mega-auctions, where a larger pool of players is available. Mini-auctions, with their limited player pool, do not usually incorporate the RTM option.
In mega auctions, the number of RTM cards a team could use depended on the number of players they retained. For instance, retaining six players meant no RTM card, while retaining five allowed one RTM, and retaining four provided two RTM rights. This system aimed to balance the teams and prevent heavy consolidation of players within a few franchises.
The absence of the RTM card in the IPL 2026 mini-auction means that teams will have to rely solely on direct bidding to acquire players they desire, including those they previously released. This could lead to more intense bidding wars and potentially higher prices for sought-after players. It also adds an element of unpredictability to the auction, as teams cannot simply match the highest bid to retain a player.
Several other significant rules and factors will shape the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Each franchise has a salary cap of ₹125 crore to build their squad, with a maximum squad size of 25 players, including no more than eight overseas players. A new rule introduces a salary cap for overseas players, limiting their maximum fee to the lower of ₹18 crore or the highest auction price from the previous mega-auction. For the IPL 2026 season, the auction purse has been increased to ₹151 crore per franchise. The overall salary structure now includes the auction purse, incremental performance pay, and, for the first time, an additional match fee of ₹7.5 lakh per player per game.
Going into the auction, Kolkata Knight Riders have the largest remaining purse at ₹64.30 crore, while Mumbai Indians have the smallest at ₹2.2 crore. This disparity in available funds will likely influence the strategies and targets of each team. With 240 Indian players and 110 overseas players in the pool, franchises will be looking to strategically fill the available slots and build a competitive team for the upcoming season.
