With only months remaining, all ten franchises will be aiming to finalise their retained and released players list ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

As per the reports, the IPL 2026 auction is likely to take place on December 15. Unlike the last two auctions, this year’s auction is expected to be hosted in India. Last year, it was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

As per the timeline, all ten teams will have to finalise their list of retained players by November 15, before the auction begins.

Trade speculations and possible retentions are flooding social media, but officials haven’t confirmed anything yet.

With the mini auction, there are no rules for maximum retentions. Franchises can retain as many as of their squad, as long as it meets the squad retirements. IPL teams can have a squad of up to 25 players, with a cap of 8 overseas players.

Several players are expected to be part of the IPL 2026 auction. Notably, the auction takes place after most of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has been played. India’s domestic T20 competition kicks off on November 26, with just one round of Super League matches set after the auction.

On the other hand, two of the franchises – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are under the spotlight and are set to make a historic trade in IPL history. Both teams had an underwhelming 2025 season.

CSK are interested in Sanju Samson, who is open to being traded ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. However, Rajasthan has asked for a trade, aiming to clinch Jadeja along with explosive batter Dewald Brevis.

However, if CSK does not agree to the terms, the trade is not likely to happen. The management must make bold decisions to rebuild the team and get back to winning form.

As the IPL 2026 auction nears, teams will focus on balancing experience with young talent. The mini auction gives franchises a chance to strengthen their weak spots without major changes.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Premier League is preparing for its first-ever mega auction scheduled for November 27 in Delhi. All the WPL teams have released their retention list earlier this month, with several number of key players available in the pool.