IPL 2026 Mini‑Auction – Team Gaps, Priorities & Who to Watch

Introduction – Why the Mini‑Auction Matters

The IPL’s Retention Day for the 2026 season turned into a fireworks show. Teams were given a free‑rein to keep, trade or release any player, and most of them chose to hit the “reset” button. The result?

• Big names walked out the door.
• A handful of headline trades reshaped a few captaincies.
• Every franchise now has a new purse (the money left after retaining players) and open slots to fill on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.

Because the main auction is already over, this mini‑auction is the last chance for teams to plug holes, add depth and fine‑tune their line‑ups. Below is a plain‑English, SEO‑friendly rundown of what each franchise has lost, what it still has, and the priority positions they should be targeting.

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How the Mini‑Auction Works

Step	What Happens
Retention Day	Teams keep the players they want, trade a few, and release the rest. Each retained player’s salary is deducted from the franchise’s total budget.
Purse Calculation	The amount left after deductions becomes the purse for the mini‑auction.
Open Slots	Players released or traded become the slots a team must fill. The number of slots varies from 4 (Punjab Kings) to 10 (Sunrisers Hyderabad).
Auction Day (Dec 16)	Teams bid for domestic and overseas talent to fill the slots, respecting the remaining purse. No team can exceed its budget.

The mini‑auction is a “quality‑over‑quantity” affair for low‑budget owners, while high‑budget teams can chase marquee overseas stars and still stock up on domestic depth.

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Team‑by‑Team Gap Analysis

Below each franchise’s purse, the key players they let go or traded, and the positions they must fill are laid out in simple bullet points.

1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

• Purse: Top‑three (exact figure not disclosed) – enough to spend heavily.
• Big Moves: Traded Ravindra Jadeja & Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals for Sanju Samson. Released Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar and several others.
• What CSK Needs
  • All‑rounders (domestic & overseas) – they lost both Jadeja and Curran.
  • Death‑overs pacers – Pathirana and Nagarkoti were death‑over options.
  • Middle‑order stability – Conway’s exit leaves a gap at No 4/5.

Bottom line: CSK will hunt for value Indian all‑rounders (e.g., Shivam Dube, Rahul KNP) and an overseas seam‑bowler who can bowl at the death (e.g., Reece Topley or a lower‑priced fast bowler).

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2. Rajasthan Royals (RR)

• Purse: ₹16.5 crore
• Big Moves: Sent captain Sanju Samson to CSK; received Jadeja & Curran. Released Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and six others (total 7 released).
• What RR Must Fill
  • Top‑order wicket‑keeper‑batter – Samson’s departure leaves the opening spot empty.
  • Spin department – Theekshana and Hasaranga were the primary spinners.
  • Captaincy – Either promote an internal leader (e.g., Yashasvi Jaiswal) or look for an experienced overseas skipper.

Strategy tip: With a modest purse, RR should prioritize a reliable keeper‑batter (maybe KL Rahul) and a quality wrist spinner (Yuzvendra Chahal or a promising domestic leg‑spinner).

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3. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

• Purse: ₹64.3 crore (largest of all)
• Big Moves: Released Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson and five others (nine players total).
• What KKR Has to Address
  • Opening partnership – Both de Kock and Gurbaz gone.
  • Fast‑bowling firepower – Nortje and Johnson off the books.
  • Finisher/Power‑hitter – Russell’s exit leaves a void in the death‑overs hitting.

Buying plan: KKR can chase a big overseas opener (e.g., David Warner or a fit‑again Shubman Gill) and an overseas pacer (Kagiso Rabada or a cheaper fast bowler) while filling the rest of the slots with cost‑effective Indian talent.

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4. Gujarat Titans (GT)

• Purse: ₹12.9 crore (third‑lowest)
• Big Moves: Let go of Gerald Coetzee (paceman) and traded Sherfane Rutherford (power‑hitting all‑rounder) to Mumbai Indians. Five players released.
• Key Gaps
  • Backup overseas pacer – Coetzee was the sole foreign fast bowler.
  • Finisher – Rutherford’s big‑hitting role is empty.

Target list: A low‑cost overseas fast bowler (e.g., Naveen Rana) plus a domestic finisher such as Shivam Dube or Rahul Tewatia.

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5. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

• Purse: ₹22.9 crore
• Big Moves: Released David Miller (big‑hitter) and leg‑spinner Ravi Bishnoi; added Mohammed Shami (fast bowler). Seven players released.
• Priority Areas
  • Spin options – Bishnoi’s exit leaves them thin on wrist spin.
  • Domestic all‑rounder – Needed for balance in the middle overs.
  • Finisher – Miller’s power‑hitting is missed.

Potential buys: Leg‑spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, all‑rounder Shivam Dube, or a cheap overseas all‑rounder like Jason Roy.

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6. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

• Purse: ₹25.5 crore
• Big Moves: Released Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar (both wrist spinners). Also lost Mohammed Shami (traded to LSG). Ten slots to fill.
• What SRH Must Plug
  • Wrist spin – Zampa and Chahar were the backbone of their spin attack.
  • Fast‑bowling depth – Shami’s exit creates a pace gap.
  • Domestic batting depth – Released Abhinav Manohar and Atharva Taide.

Suggested targets: A quality leg‑spinner (Rahul Tewatia or a newcomer), a seam bowler like Mohammad Siraj, and a hard‑hitting domestic batsman (e.g., Riyan Parag).

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7. Punjab Kings (PBKS)

• Purse: ₹11.5 crore (second‑lowest)
• Big Moves: Let go of Glenn Maxwell; overseas wicket‑keeper Josh Inglis unavailable for 2026. Six players released.
• Key Requirements
  • Overseas all‑rounder – To provide middle‑order stability and a few overs.
  • Backup pacer – Depth in fast bowling.

Smart picks: A budget overseas all‑rounder such as Jason Roy or a low‑priced English seam bowler, plus a domestic pacer like Shivam Dube.

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8. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

• Purse: ₹16.4 crore
• Big Moves: Released Liam Livingstone and Lungi Ngidi. Six players released.
• Focus Areas
  • Domestic top‑order bat – Cover for Mayank Agarwal and Swastik Chikara.
  • Versatile all‑rounder – Livingstone’s all‑round capability is missed.
  • Seam depth – Ngidi’s exit creates a pace vacancy.

Possible acquisitions: A domestic opener like Prithvi Shaw, an overseas all‑rounder such as Hardik Pandya (if price permits) or a cost‑effective Indian all‑rounder.

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9. Delhi Capitals (DC)

• Purse: ₹21.8 crore
• Big Moves: Released Jake Fraser‑McGurk, Darshan Nalkande, Mohit Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Mustafizur Rahman. Acquired Nitish Rana via trade. Seven players released.
• Priority Gaps
  • Opening batsmen – Du Plessis’s departure leaves them without a seasoned opener.
  • Domestic pacer – Mohit Sharma’s exit hurts their seam stocks.
  • Middle‑order finisher – Need a power‑hitter after du Plessis leaves.

Likely targets: An overseas opener (David Warner or KL Rahul), a domestic medium‑paceman (Shivam Dube), and a finishing all‑rounder (Hardik Pandya or Rahul Tewatia).

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10. Mumbai Indians (MI)

• Purse: ₹2.75 crore (smallest of all)
• Big Moves: Released Mujeeb, Topley, Karn Sharma and others — nine players released. The squad still has traded‑in Sherfane Rutherford, Shardul Thakur and Mayank Markande. Only five slots remain.
• What MI Can Do
  • Backup spinner – Replace the released overseas spinner.
  • Utility pacer – Add a fourth seam bowler for depth.

Approach: Stick to inexpensive Indian talent from the domestic circuit – a young spinner and a seam bowler who can fill the bench. Spending large sums is off the table.

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Quick Reference Table

Franchise	Purse (₹ crore)	Players Released / Traded	Main Gaps	Priority Position(s)
CSK	Top‑3	7+ (Pathirana, Ravindra, Conway, Hooda, Shankar…)	All‑rounders, death‑overs pacers, middle‑order	Overseas seam‑bowler, domestic all‑rounder
RR	16.5	7 (Samson traded, Theekshana, Hasaranga)	Keeper‑batter, spin, captaincy	Wicket‑keeper‑batter, wrist spinner
KKR	64.3	9 (Russell, de Kock, Nortje, Iyer…)	Openers, fast bowlers, finisher	Overseas opener, fast bowler
GT	12.9	5 (Coetzee, Rutherford)	Backup pacer, finisher	Foreign pacer, power‑hitter
LSG	22.9	7 (Miller, Bishnoi)	Spin, domestic all‑rounder, finisher	Wrist spinner, all‑rounder
SRH	25.5	7 (Zampa, Chahar, Shami)	Wrist spin, fast‑bowling depth, batting bench	Leg‑spinner, pacer
PBKS	11.5	6 (Maxwell)	Overseas all‑rounder, backup pacer	Foreign all‑rounder
RCB	16.4	6 (Livingstone, Ngidi)	Top‑order domestic bat, all‑rounder, seam	Opener, all‑rounder
DC	21.8	7 (du Plessis, Sharma, others)	Openers, domestic pacer, finisher	Overseas opener, pacer
MI	2.75	9 (Mujeeb, Topley…)	Backup spinner, utility pacer	Domestic spinner, seam bowler

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Players Likely to Spark Bidding Wars

Player	Role	Why Teams Want Him
Hardik Pandya	All‑rounder (bat + seam)	Provides balance; rare quality overseas all‑rounder.
David Warner	Overseas opener	Multiple franchises need a seasoned top‑order bat.
Yuzvendra Chahal	Wrist spinner	Gap created by Zampa/Chahar releases.
Rahul Tewatia	All‑rounder (off‑spin)	Low‑cost, can bat in the death and bowl overs.
Rinku Singh	Fast bowler (death)	Death‑overs specialists are scarce.
Shreyas Iyer	Middle‑order bat	Experienced Indian bat for teams lacking depth.
Jason Roy	Overseas all‑rounder	Value pick for low‑budget sides.
Ravi Jaswal	Left‑arm orthodox spinner	Adds variety to spin departments.
Naveen Rana	Fast bowler	Cheap overseas pacer for purse‑tight franchises.

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What the Mini‑Auction Could Mean for the 2026 Season

• High‑budget teams (KKR, CSK, SRH) will likely spend big on marquee overseas players and then fill the remaining slots with domestic depth. Their squads could look very different from 2025.
• Mid‑budget owners (RR, LSG, DC, RCB) will adopt a “mix‑and‑match” strategy: a couple of experienced overseas signings plus several promising Indian prospects.
• Low‑budget sides (GT, PBKS, MI) must be surgical. They’ll probably target a single overseas all‑rounder or pacer and then rely heavily on domestic talent from the Ranji Trophy or IPL “Emerging Player” pool.

The teams that identify their core gaps early, stay within their purse, and avoid an overspend on a single star will emerge with the most balanced squads. Conversely, a franchise that splurges on one high‑profile player but leaves too many vacancies will struggle with depth over the long league stage.

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Bottom Line – Who Should You Keep an Eye On?

• CSK – If they land a quality overseas seam‑bowler and an Indian all‑rounder, they can bounce back from last year’s wooden spoon.
• RR – Their hunt for a top‑order keeper‑batter will be a story to follow; a smart pick could restore their batting firepower.
• KKR – With the deepest purse, they could pull off a “big‑bang” signing that reshapes the tournament.
• MI – Expect a low‑key auction for them, but any surprise domestic talent they snag could become a hidden gem.

In short, the mini‑auction is the final puzzle piece before the 2026 IPL curtain rises. The teams that solve it best will set the tone for what promises to be another electrifying season of cricket, drama, and unforgettable moments.

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