The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly announced the tentative dates for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, just a day before the mini-auction scheduled in Abu Dhabi. According to reports, the 19th edition of the cash-rich league is expected to commence on March 26, 2026, and the final is scheduled to be held on May 31, 2026.
The dates were revealed to the franchises by Hemang Amin, the CEO of the league, during a meeting held in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The announcement provides clarity to the teams ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, allowing them to strategize their player acquisitions accordingly.
The IPL 2026 mini-auction is set to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. All ten franchises will compete to fill a total of 77 available slots, with 31 spots reserved for overseas players. A combined purse of Rs 237.55 crore is available for the franchises to spend.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will enter the auction with the largest purse of Rs 64.30 crore, giving them significant power to influence bidding wars. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also have a substantial budget of Rs 43.40 crore. Mumbai Indians (MI), on the other hand, have the smallest remaining purse of Rs 2.75 crore and will likely focus on acquiring uncapped players at their base price.
The player retention window for the IPL 2026 season closed on November 15, 2025, with teams confirming their retained players. A total of 173 players have been retained across all teams, including 49 overseas players.
Several players are expected to attract high bids at the auction. Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is anticipated to be one of the most sought-after players, with potential bids exceeding INR 25 crore. Other players who could trigger bidding wars include Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer and England batter Liam Livingstone.
As per IPL rules, each squad can have a maximum of 25 players and a minimum of 18, with no more than eight overseas players. The auction is expected to see competitive bidding, especially for T20 specialists as teams aim to finalize their rosters.
Traditionally, the opening match of the IPL season is hosted by the defending champions at their home venue. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who won their maiden title in the previous season, are the defending champions. However, it remains uncertain whether the opening match will be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received conditional clearance from the state government to host IPL games, but final approval is pending. The stadium has not hosted any matches since a stampede during RCB's victory celebrations last year resulted in fatalities.
The IPL 2026 season will follow the usual format, with each team playing 14 league matches in a home-and-away format, followed by the playoffs. A total of 74 matches are expected to be played in the tournament.
