The Indian Premier League 2026 player auction will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Over 1300 players initially registered for the one-day mini auction, with 350 being shortlisted. Just before the event, 19 more names were added to the auction pool.
Mallika Sagar will be the auctioneer for the event, having previously conducted the Women’s Premier League 2026 auction. Sagar made history in 2023 as the first woman auctioneer in the IPL, handling the mini-auction in Dubai. She also officiated the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Sagar’s journey in sports auctions began in 2021 when she became the first female auctioneer for the Pro Kabaddi League. Her introduction to auctioneering came from reading a book featuring an auctioneer as its protagonist. She started her professional career at Christie’s in New York, eventually becoming the first Indian woman auctioneer in the firm’s international art and luxury business.
Published on Dec 16, 2025.
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