The Board of Control for Cricket in India (
Ahead of the tournament, the five participating franchises face a critical period of squad management. The BCCI has established a retention deadline of September 28, 2026, giving teams less than a month to determine which players will remain on their rosters and which will be released back into the auction pool. This process will culminate in the player auction, which is scheduled to take place on October 28 at the Grand Hyatt in Kochi.
Squad Composition and Venue Planning
As teams prepare for the auction, they must adhere to specific squad regulations. Each franchise is permitted a maximum of 18 players, a figure that includes a limit of six overseas signings. Furthermore, the financial framework for the season remains consistent with the current cycle, with a salary cap set at Rs 15 crore per team.
While the official match venues have yet to be confirmed by the BCCI, reports suggest that Mumbai and Vadodara are the frontrunners to host the tournament. These two cities served as the venues for the previous season, with matches held at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai and the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. Notably, the 2026 final was staged in Vadodara, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured the championship title.
There has been internal discussion regarding the potential inclusion of Varanasi as a host city, given the ongoing construction of a new stadium in the region. However, league sources indicate that this remains a remote possibility for the 2027 season. Any decision to utilize a new venue would be contingent upon the facility being fully completed and successfully tested through domestic fixtures before it could be considered for a tournament of this magnitude.
