IPL 2026: One weakness each team will look to fix at the auction

IPL Trophy (Source: X)

The mini auction for IPL 2026 is set to be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, with the retentions and releases finalise on November 15, there is a lot of buzz around the impending auction as the teams will aim to fill the vacant spots following the releases and trades.

However, as of now, the focus for each franchise will be on finetuning their squad on the basis of their respective plans for the next season. This will mainly mean rectifying the shortcomings by correcting them through smart purchases at the auction.

One major weakness each IPL team must fix before auction

10. Mumbai Indians

MI, who finished fourth and lost Qualifier 2 in 2025, will aim on stacking up more options in and around Hardik Pandya for the finisher’s role. Neither amongst Mitchell Santner, Raj Bawa or Robin Minz could carry on the momentum which the likes of Hardik and Naman Dhir built at the business end of each innings in the limited opportunities they received.

9. Chennai Super Kings

The 2025 edition was the first time CSK finished at the bottom of the points table in the tournament history. Amongst several issues, one problem that constantly stood out was the top-order batters not getting the team off to brisk starts during the powerplay. CSK will look to solve the issue by bringing an attacking batter and some backups at the auction.

8. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

RCB broke their title drought by winning their maiden title in 2025. There were a lot of positives to take away for the Rajat Patidar-led unit. However, they might want to stock up on their spin-bowling options and bring in another frontline spinner come the auction.

7. Kolkata Knight Riders

The IPL 2024 champions had a rather underwhelming run in 2025, finishing eighth in the league. Unfortunately, their deputy captain in the form of Venkatesh Iyer, who has played five seasons with the  franchise, was unable to fire with the bat. Having released the India all-rounder as well as their mainstay Andre Russell ahead of the auction, KKR’s biggest target will be filling in the all-rounder slots by roping in new players to buying the same players at a fairer price.

6. Sunrisers Hyderabad

SRH ended as the runners-up of the 2024 IPL while they finished at the sixth spot with 13 points in 14 matches in 2025. The batters to follow after their first four to five proved to a significant problem for them. Kamindu Mendis and Abhinav Manohar were not successful in carrying forward the momentum provided by the top-order batters on more than one occurrence. The will aim to get more consistent batters who could back their aggressive top-order.

5. Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals finished second-last in 2025 with only four wins from 14 games. Even after a below-par campaign, the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal and the emergence of Vaibhav Suryavanshi were notable signs of encouragement. However, death bowling was one aspect which troubled the team. RR will look to invest in more reliable campaigner to improve their death bowling.

4. Gujarat Titans

GT finished as winners, runners-up and fifth in their first three seasons in the IPL. They were knocked out in the Eliminator in 2025 after finishing third in the league. Three of their batters up top (Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler) scored 500-plus runs, which was a huge positive. However, the all-round duo of Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan did not contribute with the bat the way they were expected. While this did not affect them in crunch situations, GT will have to correct vulnerability ahead of the new season.

3. Lucknow Super Giants

LSG finished seventh in both 2024 and 2025. Although the newly-instated captain Rishabh Pant’s form was a point of concern, he has consistently proven himself to be a match-winner so he will not be a worry for the management. However, Avesh Khan, who was bought from RR after a 19-wicket IPL 2024, proved to be quite expensive all throughout. While the team has addressed that concern after the trades of Mohammed Shami and Arjun Tendulkar, shoring up the bowling with backups and more options will be their target at the auction.

2. Delhi Capitals

IPL 2025 was yet another season in which DC failed to qualify for the playoffs. DC’s top-order struggle was magnified as Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk failed to perform. Fraser-McGurk, in particular, had a tepid tournament. He scored only 55 runs in six innings at a meagre strike rate of 105.76. On expected lines, DC released the duo and will look for a like-for-like explosive overseas batter with a proven track record in Indian conditions at the auction.

1.  Punjab Kings 

PBKS finished as runners-up in 2025, coming ever so close to winning their maiden IPL title. However, it was not to be. The Glenn Maxwell reunion did not work well as he was the weakest link in PBKS’ batting unit, managing only 48 runs in six innings. Having released him ahead of the auction, Punjab Kings will look to find a replacement for the batter in the middle-order in addition to finding some backup options in the bowling department.

Disclaimer: This latest news is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.