Big Names, Big Stakes as IPL 2026 Auction Heads to Abu Dhabi

New Delhi, Dec 2025 : The spotlight will firmly be on marquee names such as Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone and Ravi Bishnoi when all ten Indian Premier League franchises assemble for the IPL 2026 auction, scheduled to be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The event marks the third consecutive IPL auction to be conducted outside India, following Dubai in 2024 and Jeddah in 2025, underlining the league’s expanding global footprint.

With the 2026 season in mind, franchises are expected to loosen their purse strings in a bid to assemble balanced and competitive squads capable of lifting the IPL trophy. A total of 77 slots are up for grabs in this mini-auction, including 31 reserved for overseas players. Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders enter the auction with the highest number of vacancies at 13, while 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad have ten slots to fill.

From an initial pool of 1,355 registered players, 359 have been shortlisted for the auction. This list comprises 244 Indian players and 115 overseas cricketers. As many as 40 players have set their base price at the maximum of Rs 2 crore, with Ravi Bishnoi and Venkatesh Iyer being the only Indian names in this top bracket.

Australia’s seam-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green is widely expected to be the biggest draw of the auction. Given the limited availability of elite all-rounders in a mini-auction format, the demand-supply imbalance could see Green’s price soar beyond Rs 25 crore, making him one of the most sought-after players on the day.

Apart from Green and Bishnoi, several international stars are also likely to trigger intense bidding wars. England’s power-hitting all-rounder Liam Livingstone and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith are expected to attract interest from multiple franchises. New Zealand pacer Matt Henry, South African veteran David Miller, Sri Lanka’s pace sensation Matheesha Pathirana, and New Zealand wicketkeeper Tim Seifert are also among the names likely to command strong bids. Pathirana, notably, was released by Chennai Super Kings ahead of the auction.

Kolkata Knight Riders go into the auction with the largest purse of Rs 64.30 crore, giving them significant flexibility to rebuild after a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, who also endured a below-par season, have Rs 43.40 crore at their disposal and are expected to actively strengthen their squad.

In contrast, teams like Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings may have relatively subdued auction strategies due to limited funds. Mumbai Indians enter the auction with just Rs 2.75 crore, while Punjab Kings have Rs 11.5 crore remaining in their purse, restricting their ability to compete aggressively for top-tier talent.

One key regulation to note is that no overseas player can earn more than Rs 18 crore, irrespective of how high the bidding goes. Under the IPL’s “maximum-fee” rule, the highest permissible salary is capped at the lower of the top retention slab of Rs 18 crore or the highest price fetched in the previous mega auction. The record bid currently stands at Rs 27 crore, paid for India wicketkeeper-batter and Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant.

Among uncapped Indian players, Jammu and Kashmir’s seam-bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi and Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma have generated buzz among scouts and coaches following impressive performances in domestic T20 leagues and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Prashant Veer, Rajasthan wicketkeeper Kartik Sharma and Kerala left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur are also on the radar of franchises.

The auction will shift into an accelerated round after the first 70 players are presented, with teams nominating unsold players for renewed bidding. As this is a mini-auction, franchises will not have access to the Right to Match card, adding another layer of strategy to a highly anticipated event.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)