The IPL 2026 mini-auction is generating significant buzz as teams finalize their strategies for the event scheduled on December 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has updated the player list at the last moment, increasing the total number of players to 359. This includes 244 Indian players and 115 overseas cricketers. Originally, a list of 350 players was shortlisted from a pool of 1390 players who registered for the auction.
The last-minute update saw the addition of nine new names to the auction pool. These additions include both uncapped Indian players and overseas players. The most notable addition was Swastik Chikara, an uncapped Indian batter who was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) title-winning squad in IPL 2025. His initial omission from the list raised eyebrows, especially considering his performance in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League.
Other Indian players added to the list include KL Shrijith, Manisankar Murasingh, Chama Milind, Rahul Raj Namala, and Virat Singh. The overseas players added are Chris Green, Eathan Bosch, and Virandeep Singh. Virandeep Singh from Malaysia is the only associate-nation player in the IPL 2026 auction. However, reports indicate that the IPL has removed nine players from the 2026 auction list, including Swastik Chikara. The reason for this removal is currently unknown.
The auction is set to be a strategic battle as teams aim to fill the 77 available slots, including 31 for overseas players. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the largest purse with ₹64.30 crore and 13 slots to fill, including six overseas positions. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have the second-highest purse with ₹43.40 crore and nine available slots. Mumbai Indians (MI) have the smallest purse remaining with ₹2.75 crore and five slots available.
Several prominent players are listed in the ₹2 crore base price bracket, including international stars like Cameron Green, Steve Smith, David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Liam Livingstone, Matheesha Pathirana, and Wanindu Hasaranga, along with Indian players Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi. These players are expected to attract aggressive bidding from franchises with larger purses.
The ₹1.5 crore and ₹1.25 crore brackets include a mix of established overseas performers and versatile all-rounders like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Matt Henry, Jhye Richardson, Roston Chase, and Kyle Mayers. Experienced players such as Jonny Bairstow, Rahul Chahar, and Umesh Yadav are listed in the ₹1 crore base price category. Indian players like Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, and Mahipal Lomror are in the ₹75 lakh and ₹50 lakh categories.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was recently ignored by Team India, has been added to the list at a base price of ₹30 lakh. The IPL 2026 mini-auction is not just a squad-building event, but a "squad fixing" one, where teams will be looking to fill specific roles with limited slots available. The auction is structured to force big decisions early, with premium names front-loaded in the initial sets.
