The retention deadline for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises has been set for November 15 ahead of the player auction to be held in Goa on December 16.

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia had confirmed the auction date and venue earlier this month, the IPL executives have informed the franchises of the retention deadline through an official communication.

With all franchises having confirmed their head coaches and several marquee trades potentially in the offing, the next fortnight could witness frantic activity in the transfer market.

The trade window, which opened a month after the IPL 2026 final, has so far witnessed two deals. In June, Lucknow Super Giants released captain Rishabh Pant to Delhi Capitals in exchange for left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The Capitals then let go pacer T. Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad for uncapped leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari.

Under IPL rules, the trade window remains open until a week before the auction and reopens until a month before the following season begins.

With the retention deadline looming, franchises are expected to assess their squads and purse before deciding whether to pursue further trades or enter the auction with a larger budget.

The dates for the 2027 season are yet to be finalised. While the BCCI had previously earmarked a March 14-May 30 window for the 2027 edition, Saikia indicated after the board’s annual general meeting in September that the tournament could begin towards the end of March.

The December auction will be the last mini-auction in the IPL’s current cycle, with a mega-auction scheduled ahead of the 2028 season.