IPL 2026 auction to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi

The mini-auction before IPL 2026 is scheduled to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, as per reports. Earlier, reports had claimed that the event would take place between the December 13-15 window while the venue was still undecided. As per BCCI sources, the auction is set to take place at an overseas location for the third consecutive time due to logistical constraints.

IPL 2026 auction on December 16

As per Sportstar, sources informed the publication that the IPL 2026 mini-auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. While it was previously reported that India could host the process, it soon changed to the Middle East before reports had claimed that Abu Dhabi could emerge as the potential location. The auction will be a one-day event, since it is a mini-auction.

The deadline for the IPL franchises to finalize on the retentions is November 15. The first official trade deal to be finalized is that of Shardul Thakur between LSG and MI. Apart from that, there are advanced level of talks between CSK and RR to trade Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran for Sanju Samson ahead of IPL 2026. Last year, the auction was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25. And in 2024, Dubai hosted the event on December 19 at the Coca-Cola Arena.