The IPL 2026 auction concluded on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The 10 franchises spent a total of ₹215.45 crore to buy 77 players, including 29 overseas cricketers.
Cameron Green was the biggest signing of the auction. Kolkata Knight Riders bought the Australian all-rounder for ₹25.20 crore, making him the most expensive foreign player in IPL history.
Several well-known international players went unsold. The list included Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jonny Bairstow, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway, Alzarri Joseph, Gus Atkinson, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Spencer Johnson.
Many established Indian players also failed to find buyers. Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, KS Bharat, Karn Sharma, Murugan Ashwin, and Chetan Sakariya were among the Indian internationals who went unsold.
In total, 79 players remained unsold at the auction, consisting of 48 Indian players and 31 overseas players. A total of 369 players were shortlisted for the auction, but only 156 players went under the hammer in Abu Dhabi. As many as 213 players, including Steve Smith and Mayank Agarwal, were skipped entirely.
Nineteen players who initially went unsold, including Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan, were later picked during accelerated bidding rounds. Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis did not take part in the auction after opting out of IPL 2026.
List of Notable names that went unsold in the IPL 2026 auction
The 2026 IPL auction in Abu Dhabi had many surprises because several famous players were not picked. Teams spent ₹204.45 crore on 77 players, including 29 overseas players, but still ignored many well-known international cricketers.
Devon Conway
New Zealand opener Conway went unsold despite a base price of ₹2 crore. He was part of the Chennai Super Kings’ 2023 title-winning team, scoring 672 runs in 16 matches. He missed IPL 2024 due to a thumb injury and scored 156 runs in six matches in IPL 2025, mostly as an Impact Player.
Steve Smith
Former Australia captain Smith also remained unsold. He last played in the IPL in 2021 for the Delhi Capitals. Smith previously captained Rising Pune Supergiant and led them to the 2017 final, losing by one run.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman went unsold again. He debuted in the IPL at 17 in 2018 and took 14 wickets in 11 matches for the Punjab Kings that season. After stints with PBKS, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and a return with the Mumbai Indians in 2025, he failed to attract bids.
Jonny Bairstow
England wicketkeeper-batter Bairstow was another big name ignored. He had played important roles for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings, with his best season in 2019. Recent injuries and fewer chances to play reduced his demand in the auction.
Other notable players
Other notable unsold players included Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Umesh Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Mayank Agarwal, and Dasun Shanaka. India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Yash Dhull also went unsold despite a low base price of ₹30 lakh. Dhull had played four matches for Delhi Capitals in 2023 and returned to cricket after a heart condition break but failed to find a buyer in IPL 2026.
FAQs
Q. Who was the most expensive player in the IPL 2026 auction?
A. Cameron Green was the costliest player because the Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for ₹25.20 crore.
Q. How many players went unsold in the 2026 IPL auction?
A. In the 2026 IPL Auction, we saw 79 players who went unsold, and of the 79 players, 48 were Indian players, and 31 were overseas players.
Q. What was the reason that Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell were excluded from the 2026 IPL Auction?
A. Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis were not included in the IPL 2026 auction, as both of them decided that they would not participate in the IPL 2026.
Get IPL 2026 Live Score, Team Updates, along with the Latest Player News at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Facebook & Instagram.
