2026-10-26 · Major update · IPL Guide newsroom
RETENTION DEADLINE — The IPL has informed franchises that retention and release lists for the 2027 season are due on 15 November 2026, just under a month before the mini-auction on 16 December 2026 at ITC Grand Goa. Once the deadline passes, the IPL will furnish each franchise with the registered player pool to shortlist from, and the finalised shortlist, with the order of player sets, goes out in the week before the auction.
SALARY CAP — The IPL 2027 salary cap has been set at Rs 157 crore, up from the Rs 151 crore ceiling that applied during the 2026 season. Because this is a mini-auction rather than a full squad reset, most franchises are expected to retain the core of their existing line-ups and use trades and auction purchases to plug specific gaps.
TRADES SO FAR — The trade window, which opened one month after the IPL 2026 final, stays open until 9 December 2026, one week before the auction, and then reopens one month before the 2027 season starts. It has seen two deals so far: in June 2026, Lucknow Super Giants traded captain Rishabh Pant to Delhi Capitals in exchange for left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, and Delhi Capitals subsequently traded fast bowler T. Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad in return for uncapped leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari.
SEASON DATES NOT FINALISED — The dates for the 2027 season itself have not been officially confirmed. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia indicated after the board's annual general meeting in September that the tournament could begin towards the end of March, and earlier planning had earmarked a March-to-May window, but until the BCCI announces firm dates, treat any 2027 season dates as unconfirmed.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT — The retention lists due on 15 November will reshape every purse calculation for Goa. This site's auction hub purse table stays marked PENDING until each franchise's official list lands, and every affected team and player page is updated in the same rebuild when it does.
Sources: CricTracker, 'BCCI sets November 15 as IPL 2027 retention deadline ahead of auction', 26 October 2026 (https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/bcci-sets-november-15-as-ipl-2027-retention-deadline-ahead-of-auction-3582/); ESPNcricinfo, 'IPL 2027 auction to be held on December 16', 26 October 2026 (https://www.cricinfo.com/story/ipl-2027-auction-to-be-held-on-december-16-1560085); CricTracker Goa auction report, 26 October 2026.
The IPL has set 15 November 2026 as the retention/release deadline ahead of the 16 December Goa mini-auction, raised the salary cap to Rs 157 crore, and the trade window has seen two deals so far.
Official IPL/BCCI and franchise announcements first, then reputable reporting such as ESPNcricinfo. This post names its sources at the bottom, and unconfirmed items in it are labelled 'reported'.