ABU DHABI, 16 November (H.S.): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday confirmed that the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi will host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction on December 16 . The announcement coincided with the deadline for the ten franchises to submit their lists of retained and released players, a process that saw several high-profile stars, including Andre Russell and Glenn Maxwell, return to the auction pool.
In one of the biggest surprises, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released longtime all-rounder Andre Russell and last year's expensive acquisition, Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for Rs 23.75 crore. This move has left KKR with the largest purse heading into the auction, a substantial Rs 64.30 crore, providing them with significant flexibility to rebuild their squad with 13 available slots, including six for overseas players.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also made notable changes, offloading Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, whom they had retained for Rs 13 crore ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Despite trading for Sanju Samson, CSK will enter the auction with the second-largest kitty of Rs 43.4 crore and will look to fill nine vacancies, potentially targeting a revamped bowling attack.
Other prominent players released include Australian power-hitter Glenn Maxwell by the 2025 runners-up Punjab Kings, as well as Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Adam Zampa, and Ravi Bishnoi.
These releases ensure that the December auction will feature an intense bidding war as teams look to secure proven T20 match-winners for the upcoming season.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
