IPL 2026 Trade Window: Not very long ago did IPL 2025 come to an end with RCB (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) emerging as the champions for the very first time. The cricketing action might have ended but there's still a lot to for fans to be invested in the IPL, especially with the trade window being active. But what is the trade window? How does it work? What are the rules for the IPL 2026 trade window? When does it start and when will it finish? In this article, we shall answer all of these questions. IPL 2026 Trade Window: KL Rahul To Move To Kolkata Knight Riders?.

The IPL has several exciting elements about it and well, one of it is the trade window. The IPL trade window offers all 10 franchises a chance to bring in players, let go of some of the players in exchange for those who they think would be the best candidates to suit the requirements of the team. Well, the IPL trading window is not something new, though. It started way back in 2009, before the start of the second edition of the IPL. One of the most memorable trades in the history of the IPL was when Mumbai Indians acquired Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans for a whopping sum of Rs 15 crore. Another memorable trade was when RCB traded in Cameron Green from Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal worth Rs 17.50 crore. Chandrakant Pandit Part Ways With Kolkata Knight Riders After Two-Year Stint in Indian Premier League.

IPL 2026 Trade Window Dates

Generally, the IPL trade window starts seven days after the end of a season and it lasts till seven days before the IPL auction. It once again resumes a day after the auction finishes and the IPL trade window closes 30 days before the start of the new season. In case of this year, IPL 2026 trade window started on June 10 at 9:00 AM IST and it will be active till seven days before the IPL 2026 auction, the dates of which are yet to be revealed.

IPL Types of Trade

There are different kinds of trades in the IPL--at times, the franchises exchange players in the trade window in a player-for-player deal and on other occasions, it can be an all-cash deal for a player. KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) had traded in Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Gujarat Titans, with both trades being cash deals. A good example of a player-swap trade in the IPL trade window is when Lucknow Super Giants swapped Avesh Khan to bring in Devdutt Padikkal from Rajasthan Royals, with the pacer going the other way. Let us take a look at IPL 2026 trade window rules. Nitish Kumar Reddy Refutes Rumours of Him Leaving Sunrisers Hyderabad Ahead of IPL 2026, Says 'My Connection...' (See Post).

IPL 2026 Trade Window Rules

#Players who were purchased at the latest auction will not be available for trading for that season

#A player can be traded once per season

#The IPL has not set any limit for trades in a particular window but franchises have to maintain the rules regarding salary cap and squad compositions

#To trade in a foreign player, the buying franchises must obtain a NOC (No-Objection Certificate) from the cricket board of the player's country

#The amount of money paid by a franchise to another in a player trade will not be charged against the salary cap of that player. The buying franchise will have to pay the player's league fee (salary) from its salary cap for that particular season

#While there is a transfer fee for a player which is agreed upon by both franchises, it does not affect a team's purse heading into an auction

#In case of an all-cash deal, the selling franchise has to pay the exact amount for a player with which he has been brought at the auction

#While player's consent for a trade is important, if there are multiple franchises interested in one player, it is on the discretion of the selling franchise to select the franchise with which it wants to conduct the trade

#The buying franchise must also ensure that the player they are trading in, is fit at the time of trade. The player in question might also need to undergo medical examination before completing the trade

#A player can have an increase in salary after trade. In such cases, the increase (difference between the previous salary and the new salary) will be shared between the player and the selling franchise. The buying franchise will then have to pay the percentage agreed as part of the increase to the selling franchise.

IPL 2026 Trade Window Top Rumours

With the IPL 2026 trade window active, it is only natural for speculations to surface and go viral. One of the speculations doing the rounds is of Sanju Samson moving to CSK (Chennai Super Kings). As per a Cricbuzz report, CSK are interested in having the experienced wicketkeeper-batter join their team but they have started engaging in any formal discussion with Sanju Samson's franchise, Rajasthan Royals. Another IPL 2026 trade window top rumour has surfaced of KL Rahul drawing interest from KKR. The three-time IPL champions have started an overhaul of their management with head coach Chandrakant Pandit and Bharat Arun parting ways with the franchise and they have reportedly shown eagerness in having Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul on board, preferably as an option for captaincy before IPL 2026. There also have been murmurs about Mumbai Indians wanting to bring back Ishan Kishan by trading him from Sunrisers Hyderabad but so far, nothing concrete has emerged on this.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 31, 2025 02:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).