The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made late adjustments to the player list for the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, adding nine new players and correcting an error regarding a player contracted with the Big Bash League (BBL). The auction is scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
Initially, the BCCI released a list of 350 players shortlisted from over 1300 registrations. Hours later, a revised list was issued, incorporating nine additional names, bringing the total number of players in the auction pool to 359. The final list comprises 247 Indian players and 112 overseas players, vying for 77 available slots across the ten teams; 31 of these slots are reserved for overseas players.
The new additions to the list include some notable names. Swastik Chikara, an IPL winner recently released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has been added. Also included is Virandeep Singh of Malaysia, the only player from an Associate nation in this year's auction. The other seven players added are Manisankar Murasingh from Tripura, Chama Milind from Hyderabad, K.L. Shrijith from Karnataka, Ethan Bosch from South Africa, Chris Green from Australia, Rahul Raj Namala from Uttarakhand, and Virat Singh from Jharkhand.
In addition to the new player additions, the BCCI addressed an error concerning Nikhil Chaudhury, a Delhi-born cricketer who had been wrongly listed as a local player. Chaudhury, who has played domestic cricket for Punjab alongside prominent players like Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh, last played professionally in India six years ago. He was stranded in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently resumed his cricket career there. Chaudhury has a BBL contract.
The IPL 2026 auction is generating considerable excitement, with teams strategizing to fill their remaining slots. A total of 173 players have already been retained by the franchises. The Kolkata Knight Riders have the largest remaining purse with INR 64.30 crore and 13 slots to fill, followed by Chennai Super Kings, who have INR 43.4 crore and nine vacant slots. Mumbai Indians have the lowest amount to spend at INR 2.2 crore. Each team has INR 125 crore to build their 25-member squad. A maximum of eight overseas players are allowed per franchise.
Several international players are expected to attract intense bidding, including Cameron Green, Jamie Smith, Rachin Ravindra, and David Miller. The highest base price category remains at INR 2 crore, with 40 players opting to enter the auction under this premium bracket. The pool also comprises 224 uncapped Indian players and 14 uncapped overseas players.
The auction will begin at 1:00 PM UAE time (2:30 PM IST) on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The event will commence with capped players, categorized by role (batters, all-rounders, wicketkeeper/batters, fast bowlers, and spin bowlers), followed by uncapped players under the same classifications.
