IPL Auction: Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan's IPL exile ends; Cameron Green makes history, uncapped Indians rise and shine

There’s a quirky maximum fee rule in the mini-auction that can trip up even seasoned fans: an overseas player’s take-home salary is capped, even if the bidding goes beyond it. The cap is set as the lower of two numbers — ₹18 crore (the top retention slab) or the highest auction price achieved at the last mega auction (so if that highest price was ₹16 crore, the cap becomes ₹16 crore; if it was ₹20 crore, the cap stays ₹18 crore).

If a franchise still pushes the paddle above the cap, the player still only receives the capped amount; the extra money is earmarked for player welfare, while the team’s purse is debited for the full winning bid.

IPL 2026 Auction LIVE: Here’s a forgotten IPL auction quirk from the very first season: in 2008, franchises weren’t just capped — they were also told to spend a minimum amount. The floor was US$3.3 million (about ₹13.17 crore, as stated at the time), with a hard cap of US$5 million.

One team (Rajasthan Royals) deliberately went bargain-hunting, spent US$2.9 million (about ₹11.8 crore), and was penalised for falling short — asked to make good the deficit into the IPL pool. It’s the kind of rule that shows how the league wanted competitive squads from day one: not just save cash and chill.

IPL 2026 Auction LIVE: One of the biggest silent rules shaping bidding these days isn’t about price — it’s about availability. Under the IPL’s player regulations, any player who registers, gets picked at the auction, and then makes himself unavailable before the season begins can be banned for two seasons (from both the tournament and future auctions).

That’s why franchises now do extra due diligence on travel windows, international commitments and fitness updates before going hard on a target. The rule is designed to stop last-minute withdrawals from blowing up squad planning — and it’s already been used as a real deterrent in recent seasons.

IPL 2026 Auction LIVE: In the IPL auction, bids rise in fixed increments that change by price band — smaller jumps early, bigger jumps once the price climbs. Teams cannot bid beyond the money left in their purse, so if you’re down to your last few crores, your paddle basically has a ceiling. And once a franchise fills all 25 squad slots (or hits the overseas cap of 8), it’s done bidding even if cash remains.

Also, the auction doesn’t move in one straight line: sets can be re-ordered or accelerated if the room slows down, and late stages often go into a faster rhythm as teams chase backups and value buys.

IPL 2026 Auction LIVE: IPL’s auction story didn’t begin with players — it began with franchises. On January 24, 2008 (Mumbai), the BCCI auctioned eight city teams, turning a brand-new league into a billion-dollar idea overnight.

The winning bids (USD million) set the tone: Mumbai Indians 111.9, Royal Challengers Bangalore 111.6, Deccan Chargers 107.01, Chennai Super Kings 91, Delhi Daredevils 84, Kings XI Punjab 76, Kolkata Knight Riders 75.09, and Rajasthan Royals 67. With a USD 50m base price per franchise, the day’s total haul climbed to about USD 723m — proof that the IPL wasn’t being launched quietly.

Today’s auction drama is built on that exact moment: when the teams themselves were the biggest buys.

IPL 2026 Auction LIVE: The IPL 2026 mini-auction will be coming live from Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, and there’s a neat little footnote to this venue: this is now the third straight IPL auction staged outside India. The league’s auction circuit first shifted offshore to the Middle East with Dubai in 2024, then scaled up further with the 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, and today’s event completes that three-city run with Abu Dhabi in 2026.

The overseas run is new — historically, the IPL auction mostly had an Indian address, and Bengaluru was the default hub. After early editions in Mumbai (2008, 2010) and Goa (2009), Bengaluru hosted a staggering eight auctions: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and the 2022 mega auction. The rest were rare one-offs across the map — Chennai (2013, 2021), Jaipur (2019), Kolkata (2020) and Kochi (2023).

That’s why Dubai (2024), Jeddah (2025), and now Abu Dhabi (2026) feel like a genuine era shift, not just a one-season experiment.

IPL 2026 Auction LIVE: A very good morning, all. Here we go! With IPL getting bigger and better each year, the auction – irrespective of whether it’s mega or mini – promises to grab eyeballs, and today isn’t any different. With the official retentions out last month, the carnival heads to Abu Dhabi, where the collective fates of 369 players will be decided. Some will end the day with big bucks, while others will not, and some will be left disheartened without finding any takers. Then again, that’s the dynamic. It’s IPL auction day, folks. There will be euphoria and heartbreak. Millions spent and crorepatis crowned, as the hammer waits to come down. Stay tuned. We’re just getting started.