We still have a few months to go until the start of the 2026 IPL season. If you’re even remotely familiar with how the Indian Premier League works, you know that the competition takes place in the spring, but you’re also aware that the teams start gearing up for the new season in November. Before teams start working out their rosters, we first have the IPL auction, also known as the Indian Premier League draft, which is usually held mid November.
In an attempt to make the IPL an even more international league it is said that this year’s auction will take place outside India. At the moment, Abu Dhabi is leading the race to be the host of the prestigious event. This comes as a surprise decision by the BCCI, as the IPL auction took place outside of the Indian borders for two consecutive years, in Dubai and Jeddah, but it was expected that it would leave the Gulf and head back to India for the upcoming season.
While Abu Dhabi leads the race right now to be the 2026 IPL Auction host, other places are in consideration too. Places such as Qatar and Oman are also trying to get into the race. Either way, if the location is once again outside of India, it will mark another year where a step away from the previous traditions was taken. Yet, the BCCI claims it has little to do with moving away from traditions, but more with scheduling conflicts due to the ongoing festival and wedding season in India.
While we know more about the auction as the month moves forward, let’s talk a bit about which teams are already in the running to be the best come spring time.
Who Will Win the Indian Premier League Next Season?
The 2025 IPL season was wrapped up in style, and after a few months of summer break, it is time to start talking about the upcoming Indian Premier League Season. The speculations about who could possibly win it next season are already underway and we have early Stake IPL Odds available. While plenty of change after the auction, coaching changes, and a few new talents coming onto the stage, it will not stop us from making early title claims for IPL franchises.
Last season, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally ended their franchise’s 18 year drought to claim their first ever IPL title. The final match was held in Ahmadabad, and RCB was better than the Punjab Kings and defeated them by 6 runs. In 20 overs RCB posted 190/9, with their captain Rajat Patidar, aided by Virat Kohli leading the way. Punjab Kings were a worthy adversary, but the effort put forth by Shashank Singh, Krunal Pandya, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar was simply not enough.
We are still a few months removed from the 2026 IPL season, but the franchises are already looking to prepare themselves for it. It is expected that the 2026 Indian Premier League season will kick off on March 15th, 2026. If nothing changes, the next year’s season will consist of 84 matches, which is ten more than we had the previous season.
While RCB were last year’s favorites, they’re not the first favorites to go all the way again next year. According to the bookies, Mumbai Indians lead the race at this point with their odds being set at 5.50. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the second favorite to make it to the IPL Final next season with their odds being a fair 6.50. The bookmakers believe that the final race will be between these two franchises.
Those who are seen as having outside chances of mounting a title challenge are the last year’s finalists Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans both having their current odds set at 7.50. The teams that are seen as the middle of the pack all have their odds set at 10.00, and include franchises such as Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, and Delhi Capitals. The team that’s given the least chances of going all the way are the Rajasthan Royals, who with odds of 13.00 are not seen as a team that could pose a real challenge at the moment.
RCB Officially Listed For Sale
The biggest news of the offseason is the fact that Royal Challengers Bengaluru are listed for sale. The franchise that has finally landed its hand on an IPL title will most likely change the owners in coming months. According to the current owners, the United Spirits Limited, they’re reviewing their investment in the team, putting them up for sale all but formally. Considering the rules of the IPL, it is expected that the new owners will take charge of the team before the 2026 IPL season kicks off.
While the decision to sell the team was almost made official, it still caught people close to the sport by surprise. The biggest surprise is the fact that it comes on the eve of the RCBs first ever IPL title. While the title was lacking, and the years of waiting for it almost turned into two decades, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were always one of the commercially most appealing IPL franchises. Yet, RCB is only one of the assets their parent company, USL owns, and due to their financial restructuring, selling the team is now considered as a serious option.
There isn’t a single official reason for the sale known, besides being dubbed as a strategic move by the company. It is a move made at the top, by the USL parent company Diageo which is looking to divest their non core assets globally and RCB fall into that category. Furthermore, after securing their first ever IPL title the valuation of the franchise was never higher, so if they were to sell this is the right moment from the financial standpoint. While there are no official buyers coming out at this moment, considering the statute RCB has in the world of cricket we expect a bidding war to begin any time now.
IPL 2026 Auction
When auction time comes, teams are often left in a position where strategy no longer applies, and they need to be bold. Just like every year, plenty of surprising choices are coming our way in the incoming Indian Premier League auction. The BCCI has not yet confirmed the auction date, but it will be revealed before the 15th November. It is estimated that it will be scheduled by mid December, as teams have until November 15th to submit their lists of retained and released players.
With the auction being only a few weeks away, the pressure on the franchises to make the right moves is intensifying. The teams who are in dire need to make big changes are the Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Kolkata Knight Riders. These teams finished the last season as eight, ninth, and tenth teams respectively. When you know that Super Kings have five titles, not being in contention comes as embarrassing. KKR won the IPL three times, while the Royals won the inaugural IPL title. These are teams that have a longstanding tradition of success in the IPL, and the chances to make amends for last season’s embarrassments are about to be found in the auction if another debacle is to be avoided.
The rumours at the moment claim that all three of these teams are about to make more than a few moves in the offseason. They have big budgets and will be looking for prized assets, while releasing some of their players previously held in high esteem. The biggest name on the exit doors of KKR is Andre Russel who has been with the team since 2014. As far as RR goes, it is rumored that they will release their long standing captain, but more on that later. Also, a trade between Delhi Capitals and KKR could be on the table with Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy going in one direction and KL Rahul to the other side.
Sanju Samson Trade Speculation
As we said, big changes will go through most IPL franchises, but the biggest one will be the rumored parting of ways between Rajasthan Royals and their captain Sanju Samson. The reason why RR is prepared to part ways is inconsistency. Samson has been an integral part of both the Rajasthan Royals and the Indian men’s national team, but if you’ve been paying attention he has been inconsistent last season and his poor form continued during the Asian Cup and other international matches later in the year once the IPL season was wrapped up. Despite this, many IPL franchises see him as a valuable piece and are ready to pick him up if he’s released, and even trade for him if he’s on the block.
While nothing is official at the moment, we’re only a few days removed from the date when teams need to submit their retention/release decisions. With RRs owner Manoj Badale flying into Mumbai from the UK, we will know more about this situation in the coming days and weeks.
Will Kohli Stay with RCB?
If Virat Kohli retired today he would go down in history as one of the best to ever play the game of cricket. Yet, little is known about his imminent future. The man who has become a synonym for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been a one team player, but now his future is in question more than ever before. Yes, there were rumours of his retirement for a few years now, but now his future comes into play not as a matter of his decision but the imminent RCB sale.
The fans, of course, want to see Virat Kohli paying for their team in the 2026 IPL season. The ownership handover is not yet close, so the decisions on the team’s 2026 season need to be made in the next two weeks. The insiders close to both the team and the league claim that there’s no doubt that RCB are going to retain Kohli. He has been a massive contributor to the team , both on the field and as a brand ambassador. Yet, there are those who claim that when the sale of the franchise is finalized, the new owners might want to make a fresh start, which would most certainly include reshaping the roster, and creating a new and younger foundation for future success. As far as we’re concerned, even outside of the RCB, we believe that Kohli will feature in the 2026 IPL season.
Rohit Sharma to KKR?
If you ask the higher ups in Mumbai it’s all rubbish. There were trade rumours that claimed the MI are prepared to send their premium asset Rohit Sharma to Kolkata Knight Riders. Yet, while the fans of one franchise went berserk, and others into the dreamland, the Mumbai franchise deemed the deal not only difficult but in fact, impossible. Sharma has won the IPL title five times, and Indians see him as the key cog in their team that could do the work today but also in the future.
The main reason why these rumours came to light was the fact that KKR appointed Abhishek Nayar as their head coach, and it is a well known fact that Nayar and Sharma have a good relationship that could see the two men working together again in the future. While the two men have been working individually earlier in the year, it is hard to envision that the new KKR coach has enough pull to draw Sharma from his home in Mumbai and the franchise he has spent his entire career with, especially this late in Sharma’s career.
We are some five months removed from the start of the 2026 IPL season, but the stories shaping it are already being written. With the IPL auction looming in a few days, we will soon know more about the strength and ambitions of all IPL franchises. A great season lies ahead, so stay tuned as we pick up more news and rumours.
