The excitement for IPL 2026 is already building up as the trading window has brought a number of high-profile moves ahead of the auction. Here’s a complete rundown of all confirmed trades, auction details, and key timelines for the upcoming season.
IPL 2026 Player Transfers: Who Went Where
So far, four confirmed trades have taken place across five IPL franchises. The most talked-about move involves a blockbuster swap between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
1. Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings
From: Rajasthan Royals
To: Chennai Super Kings
Read More
Trade Details: Sanju Samson has been traded to CSK in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
The highlight is that it is one of the most high-profile swaps in the history of the IPL.
2. Shardul Thakur to Mumbai Indians
Read More
From: Lucknow Super Giants
To: Mumbai Indians
Trade Amount: ₹2 crore
Details: The Mumbai Indians have strengthened their pace attack with the signing of Indian allrounder Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants.
3. Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians
From: Gujarat Titans
To: Mumbai Indians
Trade Amount: ₹2.6 crore
Details: MI have also secured hard-hitting West Indies allrounder Sherfane Rutherford in another all-cash deal.
4. Arjun Tendulkar to Lucknow Super Giants
From: Mumbai Indians
To: Lucknow Super Giants
Trade Amount: ₹30 lakh (base price)
Details: Arjun Tendulkar will wear new colors in LSG as another key trade happens in the 2026 IPL transfer window.
IPL 2026 Auction Date and Venue
The auction for IPL 2026 is scheduled to take place on December 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi.
This is the third consecutive year the auction of IPL players will be held overseas.
While the 2024 auction was held in Dubai, the 2025 mega auction was staged in Jeddah.
The 2026 edition will be a day-long mini auction, unlike the two-day mega auctions of the past.
IPL 2026 Retention and Trading Window Rules
The franchises need to submit their list of retained and released players by 3 PM IST on November 15, 2025.
Once this process is complete:
Teams will be given the registered pool of players to shortlist from.
The IPL Governing Council will then finalize the auction pool.
The trading window, open after IPL 2025, will stay open until a week before the auction and reopen after the auction until one month prior to the IPL 2026 start date.
Note: Players bought in the 2026 auction cannot be traded afterward.
Tentative IPL 2026 Schedule
The tentative IPL 2026 window is from March 15 to May 31, 2026, and is going to be one of the most anticipated editions with major squad reshuffles and international stars returning to action.
With star players like Sanju Samson, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sam Curran changing sides, the IPL 2026 season is going to be filled with surprises. Much more trading is expected in the coming weeks as franchises look to reach an ideal squad balance ahead of the high-stakes auction in Abu Dhabi.
ALSO READ: IPL 2026: Shardul Thakur Joins Mumbai Indians After Trade from Lucknow Super Giants
