The Indian team is currently playing the T20 International series in Australia and along with it is also preparing for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. But meanwhile, the stir regarding Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has also intensified. According to the latest reports, the picture now seems to be clear to some extent regarding the retention list of players and the possible dates of the mini auction for this season.
As per the information available, the franchises will have to submit the retention and release list of players by November 15. At the same time, the possible window of mini auction has been kept between 13 to 15 December. Although this has not been officially confirmed yet by the IPL Governing Council, most of the teams have started their preparations keeping these dates in mind.
Let us tell you that in the last two years the IPL auction was held abroad. Dubai in 2023 and Jeddah in 2024. But this time the auction is said to be more likely to be held in India. At present a final decision on this is yet to be taken.
It is worth noting that this time no major changes are expected in the teams, but some franchises like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) can make major changes in their team. Both teams have a chance to reshape their strategy due to finishing bottom last season.
According to reports, Chennai Super Kings may release players like Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran and Devon Conway, although no official statement on this has been made yet. Due to the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin, CSK’s purse is likely to increase by around Rs 9.75 crore.
In the context of Rajasthan Royals, discussions are intense regarding the possible trade of Sanju Samson, while there were some speculations regarding Wanindu Hasaranga and Mahish Tikshana as well. However, after Kumar Sangakkara becomes the coach again, a change in the team’s strategy is considered possible.
Meanwhile, all eyes are also on Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. Due to injury, he was not able to participate in the last auction, but now with his return, heavy bidding is expected once again. Most of the franchises are now busy balancing the vacant slots and purse in their squads.
In the current circumstances, all the teams are adopting the strategy of retaining their core players and making changes only at the necessary places. As November is getting closer, preparations for IPL 2026 seem to be taking an interesting turn.