The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Mini-Auction, held in the glittering Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16, proved to be an explosive, record-breaking and life-changing affair for players.
With 77 slots to fill and a combined purse of Rs. 237.55 crore for all ten franchises, the auction was dominated by aggressive bidding, especially for premium overseas all-rounders and uncapped Indian talent.
A pool of 369 shortlisted players went under the hammer during the IPL 2026 auction, focusing on targeted reinforcements rather than full squad rebuilds (unlike mega-auctions)
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The Record-Breaking Buys From KKR And CSK
The day belonged to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who had the biggest purse of Rs 64.30 crore and walked away with two of the most expensive foreign players in IPL history. On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings, who had the second biggest purse of Rs 43.40 crore spent heavily on talented uncapped Indian players.
Player Price (INR) Franchise Significance
Cameron Green – Rs. 25.20 Cr KKR Most expensive overseas player in IPL history
Matheesha Pathirana Rs. 18.00 crore KKR Second most expensive overseas player.
Prashant Veer Rs. 14.20 crore CSK Joint-most expensive uncapped Indian player in IPL history.
Kartik Sharma Rs. 14.20 crore CSK Joint-most expensive uncapped Indian player in IPL history
Liam Livingstone Rs. 13.00 crore SRH High-profile buy in the second round
The Uncapped Indian Gold Rush At IPL 2026 Auction
The most stunning feature of the IPL 2026 auction was the massive outlay on uncapped domestic players, signalling a new valuation for young, high-potential Indian talent.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made headlines by spending a combined Rs. 28.4 crore on two players: all-rounder Prashant Veer and wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma, both of whom fetched an unprecedented Rs. 14.20 crore each.
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals (DC) invested heavily in Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi Dar, buying him for Rs. 8.40 crore, which was 28 times his base price.
Key Acquisitions by Franchises
Beyond the top five, several other crucial purchases defined the day at the IPL 2026 auction.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Secured a match-winner in Liam Livingstone for Rs. 13 crore after he went unsold in the first round.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Snapped up the services of Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for Rs. 7 crore.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Boosted their squad with Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis for Rs. 8.60 crore and South African speedster Anrich Nortje for Rs. 2 crore.
Gujarat Titans (GT): Brought in the experienced West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder for Rs. 7 crore.
Mumbai Indians (MI): With a tiny purse remaining, MI made a smart buy, bringing back veteran opener Quinton de Kock for his base price of Rs. 1 crore.
Rajasthan Royals (RR): Added quality spin by acquiring Ravi Bishnoi for Rs. 7.20 crore.
Delhi Capitals (DC): Made value-for-money buys, securing South African veteran David Miller and England’s Ben Duckett both at their base price of Rs. 2 crore each.
Players Who Went Unsold
The volatility of the IPL 2026 auction was highlighted by several established stars initially failing to find a buyer, though some were picked up in the accelerated rounds
Devon Conway (Base Price: Rs. 2 crore)
Spencer Johnson (Base Price: Rs. 2 crore)
Michael Bracewell (Base Price: Rs. 2 crore)
Deepak Hooda (Base Price: Rs. 1 crore)
Meanwhile, Indian batters Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan were initially unsold but were later picked up by Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, respectively, at their base price of Rs. 75 lakh in the accelerated rounds.