Argus News - IPL Auction Live Updates: KKR or CSK? Which Franchise Will Make the First Big Move?

Abu Dhabi, Dec 16: The IPL Auction 2026 will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, marking the third straight year the event is being held outside India. The auction, beginning at 2:30 PM IST today, will be conducted by auctioneer Mallika Sagar, as ten franchises look to finalise their squads for the upcoming season.

On the eve of the auction, the BCCI finalised the player pool by adding 19 names, including Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ben Sears and Ethan Bosch. From an initial registration of 1,355 players, 359 have been shortlisted -- 244 Indians and 115 overseas -- to fill 77 available slots, 31 of them for foreign players.

Purse remaining for each team (in Rs)
Kolkata Knight Riders - 64.3 crore
Chennai Super Kings - 43.4 crore
Sunrisers Hyderabad - 25.5 crore
Lucknow Super Giants - 22.95 crore
Delhi Capitals - 21.8 crore
Royal Challengers Bengaluru - 16.4 crore
Rajasthan Royals - 16.05 crore
Gujarat Titans - 12.9 crore
Punjab Kings - 11.5 crore
Mumbai Indians - 2.75 crore

Also Read: All Info On Late Additions, Players to Watch Out For & BCCI's IPL 2026 Window

The spotlight will be on high-profile cricketers such as Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone and Ravi Bishnoi, with Green tipped to attract the biggest bids. With teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad entering the auction with multiple vacancies, franchises are expected to spend aggressively as they look to assemble title-winning combinations for IPL 2026.