IPL 2026 Dates: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be held from March 26 to May 31, according to a report by Cricbuzz. The report further suggested that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule during a meeting with franchise owners in Abu Dhabi, just a day before the IPL auction 2026.
It remains unclear whether Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the season opener and final. Traditionally, these matches are held at the home ground of the defending champions. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the 2025 title, but the stadium has not hosted matches since a stampede during RCB’s victory celebrations left over 10 people dead. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received conditional clearance from the state government. Hosting matches will depend on meeting safety and security requirements.
The IPL 2026 mini-auction will feature 369 players and take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16. According to reports, an additional 19 names were listed for the player auction upon the teams’ request, taking the total pool up to 369 players. Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was the most notable addition.
Earlier, the league had added nine players, including Tripura all-rounder Manisankar Murasingh, Swastik Chikara, and South African Ethan Bosch. Their names were briefly removed but have been reinstated along with the latest additions.
The players added to the auction list include Manisankar Murasingh, Swastik Chikara, Ethan Bosch, Virandeep Singh, Chama Milind, K.L. Shrijith, Rahul Raj Namala, Chris Green, Virat Singh, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Tripuresh Singh, Kyle Verreynne, Blessing Muzarabani, Ben Sears, Rajesh Mohanty, Swastik Samal, Saransh Jain, Sooraj Sangaraju, and Tanmay Agarwal.
A total of 77 slots, including 31 for overseas players, are available in the auction. Among Indian players, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi are listed at a base price of Rs 2 crore. The mini auction will not feature any marquee players. The auction order will be batters, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, fast bowlers, spinners, followed by a round of uncapped players.
