The IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi saw teams investing in young and uncapped talent alongside proven stars. Kolkata Knight Riders made the biggest move by signing Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore, making him the most expensive overseas player in IPL auction history, and also secured Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore.
Chennai Super Kings created history by paying ₹14.20 crore each for two uncapped players, Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, both of whom entered the auction at a base price of ₹30 lakh. Veer, a 20-year-old all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, impressed in the UP T20 League for the Noida Super Kings. The 19-year-old Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma caught attention through strong domestic performances. Their combined price of ₹28.40 crore made them the highest-paid uncapped players ever at an IPL auction.
Uncapped players continued to attract heavy bids, with Jammu and Kashmir bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi Dar joining Delhi Capitals for ₹8.40 crore, a major jump from his ₹30 lakh base price. Royal Challengers Bengaluru paid ₹5.20 crore for uncapped pacer Mangesh Yadav, while Kolkata Knight Riders bought 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Tejasvi Singh for ₹3 crore. Lucknow Super Giants added Mukul Choudhary for ₹2.60 crore.
Among established international players, Sunrisers Hyderabad signed England all-rounder Liam Livingstone for ₹13 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders further strengthened their squad by acquiring Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for ₹9.20 crore. Josh Inglis, Ravi Bishnoi, and Jason Holder were also among the players whose auction values increased.
Who were the Winners and Losers from the IPL 2026 auction
Winners from IPL 2026 Auction
Kolkata Knight Riders emerged as major winners after securing Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore and Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore. Green became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history.
Chennai Super Kings were winners for investing heavily in uncapped Indian talent. Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma were bought for ₹14.20 crore each, the highest-ever bids for uncapped players.
Delhi Capitals bought uncapped all-rounder Auqib Nabi Dar for ₹8.40 crore and also got experienced players David Miller and Ben Duckett for a low total cost. Young uncapped Indian players did very well, earning big money even with little top-level experience.
Losers from IPL 2026 Auction
On the downside of the IPL 2026 auction were Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. SRH faced criticism for letting Liam Livingstone go unsold initially, then spending ₹13 crore to buy him later. CSK took a big gamble by spending ₹28.4 crore on uncapped players Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, releasing experienced campaigners like Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
After going unsold, several well-known international stars were obvious losers. Devon Conway, Jonny Bairstow, Steve Smith, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Daryl Mitchell were unable to draw bids.
The unsold status of Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, KS Bharat, Karn Sharma, Murugan Ashwin, and Chetan Sakariya shows how franchises now put form, role clarity, and recent T20 impact ahead of prior international experience.
Late-auction overpays exposed teams that struggled with timing rather than talent evaluation. Certain players attracted inflated prices simply due to limited availability in specific roles during the final bidding phases. Players without clear role value or recent performance were ignored, showing that the auction permanently shifted toward talent development rather than star power alone.
FAQs
Q. Which big players did Kolkata Knight Riders buy?
A. Kolkata Knight Riders bought Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore and Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore.
Q. Who are Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma?
A. All-rounder Prashant Veer is a 20-year-old cricketer from UP. Meanwhile, Kartik Sharma is a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan.
Q. Which uncapped player got a big deal from Delhi Capitals?
A. Delhi Capitals bought uncapped all-rounder Auqib Nabi Dar for ₹8.40 crore.
Q. Which famous players went unsold in the auction?
A. Players like Devon Conway, Jonny Bairstow, Steve Smith, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman went unsold.
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