KKR and CSK will headline the bidding wars at the IPL 2026 mini-auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, with the biggest purses in hand. KKR, armed with Rs 63.4 crore after releasing high-value names including Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell, aim for a major squad overhaul. CSK, having freed up Rs 40 crore, are set to rebuild their bowling department and could chase Pathirana or Stokes. A busy trading window saw marquee moves like Ravindra Jadeja to RR, Sanju Samson to CSK, and Mohammed Shami to LSG, adding further intrigue to the auction pool. All released players will now enter the mini-auction pool.
