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IPL retentions done; can teams still trade players among themselves before mini auction?

Debashis Sarangi

IPL auction is scheduled on Dec 16 [Source: AFP]IPL auction is scheduled on Dec 16 [Source: AFP]

The IPL retentions are over, and the ten participating teams have submitted their respective lists of retained and released players ahead of the 2026 mini auction. Teams that did reasonably well persisted with their core groups, while sides that reeled at the bottom in the IPL 2025 points table released majority of their players, seeking an overhaul in the auction. 

However, the mini auction is scheduled for December 16, which is almost one month away. Can the IPL teams execute further trade moves before the auction? Let's decode the IPL rules to draw a conclusion. 

Can IPL trades be executed before mini auction?

The trade window for a particular season opens right after the completion of the preceding edition. For example, the trade window for IPL 2026 opened on June 4, a day after the IPL 2025 concluded. 

According to the IPL rules, the trade window remains active until one week before the 2026 mini auction. So, the IPL teams can execute player trades until December 9, in case they want to fine-tune their existing squads with strategic tweaks. 

The trade window won't be active from December 10 to 16. In fact, it will reopen right after the auction and remain so until one month before the IPL 2026. However, teams won't be allowed to trade the players whom they will purchase in the mini auction during the post-auction window. 

All IPL 2026 trades so far

  • Rajasthan Royals secured the services of allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, giving Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings in return. 
  • Mayank Markande left KKR and joined MI, while Mohammed Shami was traded from SRH to LSG for INR 1 crore. 
  • Nitish Rana and Donovan Ferreira were swapped with each other, joining DC and RR, respectively. 
  • Sherfane Rutherford and Shardul Thakur joined MI through all-cash trades from GT and LSG, respectively. 
  • Arjun Tendulkar was traded from LSG to MI through an all-cash trade worth 30 lakhs.