IPL 2026 Auction Dates Announced, Clash with PSL Again - Eyes on KKR and CSK

IPL 2026 Auction Dates Announced:  The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be held between March 26 and May 31. The tournament will be played within roughly the same timeframe as in recent years. Although the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has not yet released the full schedule of matches, the 19th season will begin approximately three weeks after the conclusion of the Men's T20 World Cup.

For the second consecutive year, the IPL dates will clash with the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is scheduled to be held between March 26 and May 3. Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav Breaks Silence On His Poor Performance, Says, 'I'm Not Out Of Form'

19th season of IPL 2026

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.  Following this, IPL 2026 will commence and the tournament will run for a little over two months. One major implication of this schedule is that for the second consecutive year, the IPL and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) dates will clash. PSL 2026 is tentatively scheduled to be held between March 26 and May 3, meaning both leagues will run concurrently.

Eyes on KKR and CSK

Meanwhile, IPL franchises released their lists of retained and released players in mid-November. Now all teams are busy preparing for the IPL 2026 auction, which will be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16. A total of 369 players have been shortlisted for this auction. A total of 77 slots are available in the auction, with 31 slots reserved for foreign players. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the most vacant slots with 13, while Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have 10 vacant slots.

Big Purses of Auction

In terms of purse size, KKR has the largest budget remaining after trades and retentions. Kolkata has Rs 64.30 crore (approximately US$7.1 million) available. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) comes next, with a purse of Rs 43.40 crore (approximately US$4.8 million). Also Read:  Virat Kohli's 9-year-old record is in danger; Abhishek Sharma to make history in Dharamshala

Summary

It's worth noting that the IPL 2025 final was played on June 3rd, in which Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs to win their first IPL title. The match was played in Ahmedabad.