The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction is set to be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on December 16. The teams will look to strengthen their sides ahead of the 19th edition of the cash-rich league.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to enter the auction with the biggest purse with INR 64.3 crore in their kitty. The three-time champions will look to make a formidable team which can help them bounce back after they finished eighth last season. On the other hand, the Mumbai Indians (MI) have retained most of their players and will enter the auction with the smallest purse – INR 2.75 crore.
In this article, we take a look at who makes the final decision for franchises during IPL auctions:
Franchise Owners
In franchise tournaments, team owners certainly play a key role in making decisions regarding which players should be roped in and which ones to be released. Some team owners tend to leave these important decisions to the coaches and mentors, who have more experience of playing the sport and understand players’ abilities better. However, most team owners prefer to play active roles in squad selection.
Head Coach and Support Staff
The head coach and the other members of the support staff play a key role in squad selection. They have access to plenty of data about the players, as most teams have highly qualified sports analysts in their arsenal. By correlating the data with their knowledge of the game, coaches can suggest players who will suit the team best.
Scouting Team
Scouting teams play a significant role in identifying the lesser-known talents. Teams like the Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals have been able to unearth some young gems from the Indian cricket circuit.
Captain
Captains also have some say in squad selection. While they are mostly not involved in the auction room, they can give suggestions beforehand.
In short, most squad-related decisions are taken by a combination of the head coach, support staff, and franchise owners.
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