IPL 2026 mini-auction kicks off today, December 16, 2025, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, starting at 2:30 PM IST, drawing global attention as teams fine-tune squads post-retentions. With over 350 players on offer from an initial pool of 1,390 registrants, franchises hold varying purses—KKR leads at ₹64.30 crore for 13 slots, CSK at ₹43.40 crore for 9, while MI scrapes by with ₹2.75 crore for 5—setting the stage for strategic bids on stars like Cameron Green and Venkatesh Iyer.

This one-day event follows the November 15 retention deadline. High-profile owners and coaches converge in Abu Dhabi, blending glamour with tactics, as Bollywood icons like Preity Zinta and business scions like Kavya Maran join think tanks to shape IPL 2026 line-ups amid intense competition.​

IPL 2026 Auction: Probable team representatives at the auction table in Abu Dhabi

1. Chennai Super Kings

• CEO: Kasi Vishwanathan
• Owner: N. Srinivasan

2. Mumbai Indians

• CEO: Ashish Kumar Chauhan
• Owner: Mukesh Ambani & Nita Ambani

3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

• Chairman (There is no CEO in RCB): Prathmesh Mishra
• Owner: United Spirits (Diageo) + Hombale Films (expected)

4. Kolkata Knight Riders

• CEO: Venky Mysore
• Owner: Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla & Jay Mehta

5. Rajasthan Royals

• CEO: Jake Lush McCrum
• Owner: Manoj Badale & Lachlan Murdoch

6. Delhi Capitals

• CEO: Sunil Gupta
• Owner: Parth Jindal & Kiran Kumar Grandhi

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Broadcast, Live Streaming details – When and where to watch in India, Australia, UK & South Africa

7. Punjab Kings

• CEO: Satish Menon
• Owner: Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta & Karan Paul

8. Lucknow Super Giants

• CEO: Vinay Chopra
• Owner: Sanjiv Goenka

9. Sunrisers Hyderabad

• CEO: Kavya Maran
• Owner: Kalanithi Maran & Kavya Maran

10. Gujarat Titans

• CEO: Arvinder Singh
• Owner: CVC Capital and Karan Adani

Also READ: Sanjay Bangar picks IPL 2026 auction’s biggest “steal deal”

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