A great deal for SRH! In-form wicket-keeper batter Salil Arora, who smashed a half-century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier today, is SOLD to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 1.5 crore. Mumbai Indians entered the bidding war, but ran out of money.

SRH also buy uncapped pacers Sakib Hussain and Onkar Tarmale at his base price of Rs 30 lakh! MI then buy Mohammad Izhar for Rs 30 lakh.

Big sale to RCB! The reigning champions make their second significant buy of the day after Venkatesh Iyer, purchasing uncapped Indian all-rounder Mangesh Yadav for a big fee of Rs 5.20 crore! RCB also buy the uncapped Satvik Deswal for Rs 30 lakh.

Chants of "RCB, RCB" from the fans present at the Etihad Arena.

Mumbai Indians make their second buy of the day, picking up Danish Malewar for Rs 30 lakh. Lucknow Super Giants then buy Akshat Raghuwanshi for a fee of Rs 2.20 crore! Aman Khan is bought by CSK for Rs 40 lakh. Punjab Kings also made their first bid of the day.

Chetan Sakariya, Kuldeep Sen, Waqar Salamkheil, Adam Milne, Kyle Jamieson, Lungi Ngidi have gone UNSOLD.

The Fizz will play for KKR! Mustafizur Rahman becomes the most-expensive Bangladesh player in IPL history. A massive fee of Rs 9.20 crore for the left-arm fast bowler. Big applause and cheers from the crowd as the player is sold.

Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders are in a massive bidding war for Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman. The bidding has rocketed up to Rs 9 crore in no time! And it's inching towards Rs 10 crore!

Josh Inglis, who played well for Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 but will unavailable for the majority of IPL 2026, goes unsold at his base price of Rs 2 crore. No bids for the Australian.
New Zealand's Tim Seifert is SOLD to KKR for Rs 1.5 crore! KKR have two Kiwi wicket-keeper batters, Allen and Seifert!

Tom Banton and Jordan Cox are unsold.

Jason Holder SOLD to Gujarat Titans! A massive bidding war between GT and CSK, and ultimately the latter back out. Holder gets a big paycheque, and will be turning out for the 2022 champions.

CSK make a buy straight after! Australia's Matt Short is SOLD to CSK for Rs 1.5 crore!

Bidding is on for West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder! The lower-order batter and handy seamer is attracting a bidding war between CSK and GT. His bidding has crossed Rs 4 crore!

Pathum Nissanka will play for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026! The Sri Lankan opener has been in excellent form of late, and he gets a Rs 4 crore move to DC. KKR went for him too, but relented ultimately.

KKR then buy back their former player Rahul Tripathi at his base price of Rs 75 lakh.

We are back! The IPL 2026 mini auction resumes in Abu Dhabi. The accelerated phase begins. First up is Afghanistan's Sediqullah Atal, but he goes unsold.

Next up, Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka! And we have a bidding war between KKR and DC!

We have a number of established international players coming up in the next phase of the auction. Steve Smith, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Daryl Mitchell, Cooper Connolly, Michael Bracewell, among others. Don't forget Liam Livingstone, Prithvi Shaw or Sarfaraz Khan, who could come later!

"We wanted an experienced finisher, and I don't think you can do better than David Miller. Excited to see Stubbs and Miller in the middle order. One of the problems we diagnosed last season was we didn't get enough wickets in the powerplay. We needed someone who could swing the ball. We've been tracking Auqib Dar, he's really exciting," says Parth Jindal, co-owner of Delhi Capitals.

Here's the purse remaining for every franchise ahead of the accelerated auction phase of the IPL 2026 mini-auction:

SRH: Rs 25.20 crore - 9 slots left
KKR: Rs 15.50 crore - 7 slots left
LSG: Rs 15.35 crore - 2 slots left
CSK: Rs 13 crore - 6 slots left
GT: Rs 12 crore - 4 slots left
PBKS: Rs 11.50 crore - 4 slots left
DC: Rs 9.40 crore - 5 slots left

RCB: Rs 7.40 crore - 6 slots left
RR: Rs 7.35 crore - 5 slots left
MI: Rs 1.75 crore - 4 slots left

Here's a list of the buys made by every team so far in the IPL 2026 mini-auction:

CSK: Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Akeal Hosein
DC: Aquib Nabi, David Miller, Ben Duckett
GT: Ashok Sharma
KKR: Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Finn Allen, Prashant Solanki, Kartik Tyagi
LSG: Mukul Choudhary, Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, Naman Tiwari
MI: Quinton de Kock
PBKS: -
RR: Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Vignesh Puthur, Yash Raj Punja
RCB: Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy
SRH: Shivang Kumar

Here is a list of ALL the sold players from the first uncapped set. Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma the two highest sales, at Rs 14.20 crore each, both to CSK!

Auqib Nabi - DC (Rs 8.40 crore)

Prashant Veer - CSK (Rs 14.20 crore)

Kartik Sharma - CSK (Rs 14.20 crore)

Mukul Choudhary - LSG (Rs 2.60 crore)

Tejasvi Singh - KKR (Rs 3 crore)

Ashok Sharma - GT (Rs 90 lakh)

Kartik Tyagi - KKR (Rs 30 lakh)

Naman Tiwari - LSG (Rs 1 crore)

Sushant Mishra - RR (Rs 90 lakh)

Yash Raj Punja - RR (Rs 30 lakh)

Prashant Solanki - KKR (Rs 30 lakh)

Vignesh Puthur - RR (Rs 30 lakh)

Shivang Kumar - SRH (Rs 30 lakh)

We have come to the end of the first set of uncapped players! Tea break is taken at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. History made, not once but twice during this period. A day to remember for the Indian Premier League!

Huge roar from the fans at the Etihad Arena, as Rajasthan Royals pick up mystery spinner Vignesh Puthur at his base price of Rs 30 lakh. The youngster made a big impression for MI in IPL 2025. 

KKR buy Prashant Solanki for Rs 30 lakh, while RR also buy Yash Raj Punja for the same price.

Karn Sharma, Kumar Kartikeya, Shivam Shukla and Afghanistan's Wahidullah Zadran all go unsold.

Rajasthan Royals purchase left-arm pacer Sushant Mishra for Rs 90 lakh. KKR enter the bidding war momentarily, but it's the 2008 champions who win his services in the end.

Naman Tiwari, the 20-year-old pacer, is SOLD for Rs 1 crore to Lucknow Super Giants! Yet another young Indian pacer joining the LSG ranks, where the highly-reputed Bharat Arun is now the bowling coach.

Akash Madhwal, meanwhile, goes UNSOLD.

Pacer Kartik Tyagi is SOLD to KKR at his base price of Rs 30 lakh. Once one of the most hyped pacers in the Indian domestic circuit, let's see if he can revive his career under the mentorship of Dwayne Bravo and Tim Southee.

After that, Simarjeet Singh and Raj Limbani go UNSOLD.

First buy for Gujarat Titans! They swoop in and get Ashok Sharma in the end. Ashok Sharma is SOLD to GT for Rs 90 lakh. Rajasthan Royals, Ashok's former franchise, exit the bidding. Ashok will play under Ashish Nehra's coaching next year. Huge applause from the auction room, as GT make their first signing.

KKR and RR are battling for pacer Ashok Sharma! For the uninitiated, Ashok is the highest wicket-taker of the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025/26, having scalped 22 wickets in 10 games.

...And KKR exit at Rs 75 lakh.

Rs 3 crore buy for KKR! Kolkata Knight Riders finally get an uncapped Indian wicket-keeper batter, in the form of 23-year-old Tejasvi Singh. It will be interesting to see if he gets any game time in IPL 2026.

Tushar Raheja surprisingly goes UNSOLD. Vansh Bedi is also unsold.

Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders are once again in a bidding war! This time, 23-year-old wicket-keeper Tejasvi Singh is the point of attraction. The bidding has gon past Rs 2 crore!

Lucknow Super Giants buy Rajasthan's talented wicket-keeper Mukul Choudhary for Rs 2.60 crore. Another big-money uncapped wicket-keeper! The 21-year-old will play under Rishabh Pant in IPL 2026.

Kartik Sharma matches Prashant Veer! SOLD to CSK for Rs 14.20 crore! Kavya Maran shakes her hand, and SRH exit the bidding. Chennai Super Kings have made two massive uncapped signings in the last few minutes, with an eye on the future.

KKR exit the bidding, SRH enter! A late twist comes from the Orange Army. A couple of bids from SRH owner Kavya Maran, but CSK continue to go strongly for the wicket-keeper batter. We are past Rs 14 crore.

KKR and CSK continue to fight for Kartik Sharma! A big paycheque is assured for the 19-year-old, who is set to become a millionaire today. Rs 10 crore... and soon after, Rs 11 crore! 

Lucknow Super Giants exit at Rs 2.80 crore. Chennai Super Kings enter straight away. CSK and KKR are now going hard for the 19-year-old Kartik Sharma. The bidding goes past Rs 5 crore!

These are two sides who are extremely keen on powerful Indian finishers, and Kartik fits the bill.

KKR and LSG are battling for Kartik Sharma! The 19-year-old wicket-keeper batter is also an explosive hitter, and is highly rated in the Indian domestic circuit. The bidding has crossed Rs 2 crore!

Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sanvir Singh and Tanush Kotian go UNSOLD. No bids for the talented uncapped all-rounders. Next up, uncapped wicket-keeper batters. Watch out for Kartik Sharma and Tushar Raheja!

First up among the keepers is Ruchit Ahir, who goes unsold.

The costliest uncapped player in IPL auction history! Chennai Super Kings buy Prashanth Veer for a whopping Rs 14.20 crore. Is that their Ravindra Jadeja replacement sorted for the future? 

Shivang Kumar then is SOLD to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 30 lakh!

We are past Rs 10 crore! No, scratch that. We are past Rs 12 crore for all-rounder Prashant Veer. Huge, huge demand for the youngster from Uttar Pradesh. RR have exited, and it is CSK and SRH who are going hard for the 20-year-old.

The bidding is heating up for talented all-rounder Prashant Veer! CSK probably eye their Jadeja replacement in Veer, who is also a left-handed batter and left-arm spinner. LSG and MI initially bid for him, but now the bidding war is between CSK and RR!

The bidding has crossed Rs 6 crore!

Vijay Shankar, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mahipal Lomror and Edhen Apple Tom go UNSOLD. Next up is all-rounder Prashant Veer, and a bidding war is on! 

SRH out, DC win! Auqib Dar will be playing for Delhi Capitals, SOLD at a whopping Rs 8.40 crore. He becomes the costliest Indian so far today. A handsome reward for the in-form player. DC have made some calculated purchases today.

We are past Rs 7 crore! Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals are going all out for the 29-year-old, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir. Auqib averages 19 with the ball in first-class cricket. He took 15 wickets in 7 matches in SMAT 2025/26.

...And we go past Rs 8 crore!

Rajasthan Royals exit, RCB enter! Auqib Dar's bidding crosses Rs 2 crore. The reigning champions and the 2020 runners-up are battling for the services of Dar. And RCB exit at Rs 2 crore!

Uncapped all-rounders bidding starts. Auqib Nabi Dar, who has been tearing it up in the domestic circuit, is up first. The bidding war is underway. Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals are first in for Auqib Dar.

Here's a recap of the capped spinners, who were up for sale in Set 5 of the IPL 2026 mini-auction today. Ravi Bishnoi became the costliest Indian so far, going for Rs 7.20 crore to Rajasthan Royals.

Rahul Chahar - Unsold

Ravi Bishnoi - SOLD, RR (Rs 7.20 crore)

Mujeeb Ur Rahman - Unsold

Maheesh Theekshana - Unsold

Akeal Hosein - SOLD, CSK (Rs 2 crore)

Here is a recap of the players sold and unsold in the capped fast bowlers list, which was Set 4. Matheesha Pathirana was the headline buy, going to KKR for a whopping Rs 18 crore!

Akash Deep - Unsold

Shivam Mavi - Unsold

Jacob Duffy - SOLD, RCB (Rs 2 crore)

Gerald Coetzee - Unsold

Matheesha Pathirana - SOLD, KKR (Rs 18 crore)

Spencer Johnson - Unsold

Anrich Nortje - SOLD, LSG (Rs 2 crore)

Fazalhaq Farooqi - Unsold

Atharva Taide, Anmolpreet Singh, Yash Dhull, Aarya Desai and Abhinav Tejrana all go unsold. And then a bit of a surprise, Abhinav Manohar also goes UNSOLD. A reputed powerhitter in Indian domestic cricket, but no bid for him at a base price of Rs 30 lakh. 

Finally, Chennai Super Kings buy a player! The five-time champions acquire the services of West Indian spin bowler Akeal Hosein for Rs 2 crore. A handy lower-order batter as well, and he could be handy in the spin-friendly conditions at Chepauk Stadium.

Ravi Bishnoi is going to Rajasthan Royals! Rs 7.20 crore is the final price. Sunrisers Hyderabad pull out in the end. Bishnoi, who plays for Rajasthan in domestic cricket and also hails from the state, will surely feel at home at RR.

Meanwhile, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Maheesh Theekshana go UNSOLD.

Chennai Super Kings are out! CSK exit the bidding for Ravi Bishnoi at Rs 6 crore. Sunrisers Hyderabad enter bidding for a player for the first time today! RR are still going strong. SRH and RR take Bishnoi's bidding past Rs 5 crore.

Ravi Bishnoi's bidding is slowly going up. Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings are battling for the high-profile Indian wrist spinner. The bidding touches Rs 6 crore! 

Set 5 starts. Capped spinners. Rahul Chahar is first name up, but he goes UNSOLD. Ravi Bishnoi is the next name. Surely the Indian spinner, who was once No. 1 T20I bowler in the world, gets a big price.

...And RR and CSK are bidding for Bishnoi!

South African speedster Anrich Nortje is SOLD to Lucknow Super Giants! The Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise went hard for Pathirana before pulling out at Rs 18 crore. Now, they get Nortje for just Rs 2 crore! Base price buy.

Australian pacer Spencer Johnson and Afghan fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi go UNSOLD.

Matheesha Pathirana SOLD to KKR! Rs 18 crore! Kolkata Knight Riders shell out another massive chunk of their purse for the talented Sri Lankan pacer, who will be mentored by Tim Southee and Dwayne Bravo next year.

KKR now have the two highest buys of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

Pathirana's bidding has crosses Rs 17 crore! Kolkata Knight Riders have entered after Delhi Capitals exited. And LSG exit the bidding at Rs 18 crore! Will there be another bid?

Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants are in an intense bidding war for Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathiraa. A player who was released by CSK for Rs 13 crore is now being fought for by DC and LSG!

The bidding crosses Rs 10 crore!

New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy will play for RCB! The opening bid is the closing bid, and the reigning champs pick up an alternate option for Josh Hazlewood at base price of Rs 2 crore.

South African pacer Gerald Coetzee also goes UNSOLD.

The auction has started for Set 4, which features capped fast bowlers! Matt Henry is the first name out of the bag, but he goes UNSOLD at his base price of Rs 2 crore. No bid.

"We've been going after him in the past, and we're happy to get him. He adds some leadership quality as well. Looking forward to working with him," says Andy Flower, head coach of reigning champions RCB, on the Rs 7 crore buy of Venkatsh Iyer.

"We were keen but not so attached to Cameron Green, so had he gone a lot higher, we would've let him go. We are very happy with the price," says KKR CEO Venky Mysore, on their record-breaking Rs 25.20 crore buy.

Here's a recap of Set 3, which included capped wicket-keeper batters. A number of players going unsold at the start, but Ben Duckett and Finn Allen found buyers at the end.

KS Bharat - Unsold

Quinton de Kock - SOLD, MI (Rs 1 crore)

Rahmanullah Gurbaz - Unsold

Jonny Bairstow - Unsold

Jamie Smith - Unsold

Ben Duckett - SOLD, DC (Rs 2 crore)

Finn Allen - SOLD, KKR (Rs 2 crore)

Here's a recap of Set 2, which included capped all-rounders. Venkatesh Iyer went for good money, but Liam Livingstone did not get a bid!

Gus Atkinson - Unsold

Rachin Ravindra - Unsold

Wiaan Mulder - Unsold

Liam Livingstone - Unsold

Wanindu Hasaranga - SOLD, LSG (Rs 2 crore)

Venkatesh Iyer -  SOLD, RCB (Rs 7 crore)

Deepak Hooda - Unsold

Two sales to end Set 3, wicket-keepers! England wicket-keeper batter Ben Duckett goes to Delhi Capitals at his base price of Rs 2 crore. New Zealand wicket-keeper batter Finn Allen is bought by KKR for Rs 2 crore as well! Base price buys!

BIG NEWS! Jonny Bairstow and Jamie Smith, two highly-rated England wicket-keeper batters, both go UNSOLD. No bid for either of them at their base prices. Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz also goes unsold.

Mumbai Indians buy Quinton de Kock! The South African wicket-keeper batter goes back to the Wankhede at his base price of Rs 1 crore. The left-hander recently smashed a century against India in the ODI series.

Deepak Hooda, the final name among the capped all-rounders, goes unsold. Auction starts for Set 3, which features capped wicket-keeper batters. KS Bharat is first up, but he goes unsold.

SOLD! RCB get Venkatesh Iyer! KKR pull out of the bidding, and the defending champions get him for Rs 7 crore. Remember, these two franchises had indulged in a massive bidding war for Venkatesh last year, after which KKR had got him for Rs 23.75 crore.

A long time before any bids come up for Venkatesh Iyer. LSG make the opening bid of Rs 2 crore, GT enter, but both exit soon. RCB and KKR now in a bidding war for the batting all-rounder. His bidding reaches Rs 5 crore!

Remember, Venkatesh smashed 70 off 43 earlier today for Madhya Pradesh.

First buy for LSG! Lucknow Super Giants pick up Sri Lankan spin-bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga at his base price of Rs 2 crore. No bidding war for Hasaranga. 

Meanwhile, South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder goes unsold. No bids at Rs 1 crore.

UNSOLD. This is a massive, massive surprise! England power-hitter Liam Livingstone does not fetch a single bid at his base price of Rs 2 crore. Expected by many to go for Rs 10 crore or more, Livingstone is unsold for now.

He may come up later.

Bidding for Set 2 of the IPL 2026 mini auction - capped all-rounders - starts. The first player up is England all-rounder Gus Atkinson. He goes UNSOLD at his base price of Rs 2 crore. Rachin Ravindra is up next. He also goes UNSOLD.

The biggest attractions of this phase should be Liam Livingstone and Venkatesh Iyer.

Here's a recap of the first set of capped batters. 4 players go unsold, 2 sold. Cameron Green becomes the costliest overseas player in IPL history.

Jake Fraser-McGurk - Unsold

David Miller - SOLD, DC (Rs 2 crore)

Prithvi Shaw - Unsold

Devon Conway - Unsold

Cameron Green - SOLD, KKR (Rs 25.20 crore)

Sarfaraz Khan - Unsold

Much like Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan also goes UNSOLD! No bids for the Indian batter at his base price of Rs 75 lakh. Sarfaraz smashed 73 runs off just 22 balls today for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but he doesn't fetch a bid in the opening phase of the IPL 2026 auction.

And that's the end of Set 1.

IT'S DONE! Cameron Green SOLD to Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 25.20 crore! CSK pull out of the bidding, and the three-time champions KKR secure the star Australian all-rounder for a record fee for an overseas player in IPL history!

WOW!

Cameron Green is now guaranteed to be the highest-selling overseas player in the history of the IPL! His bidding reaches Rs 25 crore, and he goes past the previous record set by Mitchell Starc, who was bought by KKR for Rs 24.75 crore in the IPL 2024 auction.

We go past Rs 20 crore! Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders continue to battle for the services of the Australian all-rounder. No sign of relenting from either franchise. Rishabh Pant's record - Rs 27 crore - is at risk!

Here comes Chennai Super Kings! Rajasthan Royals pull out at Rs 13.60 crore. CSK enter the bidding, as many expected. The bidding crosses Rs 15 crore. A big round of applause from the auction room as the five-time champions enter the bidding war.

KKR and RR continue to battle for Cameron Green! The bidding war is on, and the amount crosses Rs 10 crore! And it's going... and still going! We're past Rs 13 crore. Will we see a record being broken today?

Rajasthan Royals, who have a purse of Rs 16.05 crore, are still hanging on to the bidding. 

Cameron Green is here! Surely the most highly sought-after player of the auction. Mumbai Indians, who have the lowest budget, start off the bidding at Rs 2 crore.

Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals take over the bidding after that. The bidding has crossed Rs 7 crore!

UNSOLD! Prithvi Shaw, the highly-talented young Indian opener does not fetch a single bid at his base price of Rs 75 lakh. For the second auction in a row! Another shock, as he's been in decent form in domestic cricket.

Devon Conway, the wicket-keeper batter from New Zealand, also goes UNSOLD.

David Miller is SOLD to Delhi Capitals! Expected to be one of the most highly sought-after middle-order batters, he goes at just his base price of just Rs 2 crore! Bit of a shock, it has to be said. 

Next up, Prithvi Shaw. Base price: Rs 75 lakh.

Big news! Jake Fraser-McGurk is UNSOLD. No bid at his base price of Rs 2 crore. He may come up later in the accelerated phase. Next up, South African star David Miller!

Mallika Sagar, the auctioneer, now steps onto the podium. The first set is underway, featuring capped batters. The first player up is Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has a base price of Rs 2 crore.

We are LIVE! The IPL 2026 auction is underway at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal addresses the people present first. "Tonight, every paddle raised will be an example of faith in rising stars," he says.

The bidding should be starting soon.

The teams are arriving to the auction room at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The tables and chairs are set, the players, coaches and owners are about to take their seat. We are all set to go any moment now!

We are just around 10 minutes from the start of the IPL 2026 mini auction in Abu Dhabi. Teams are completing their last bit of prep, and very soon, we'll see some big pay cheques being shelled out. Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone, Venkatesh Iyer? Who'll get the biggest amount? We'll find out soon.

"Look, if you talk about international fast bowlers, I think Matheesha Pathirana will still be a hot pick because of the skill level he brings, even though he's had some fitness issues and an off year. Gerald Coetzee is another interesting name -- not just for his bowling, but he can also bat down at No. 8, which adds balance. And then there's Ashok Sharma, whose speed and ability to hit the stumps make him one to watch. These three are the ones I think will be hot picks in the auction," Irfan Pathan said on JioStar.

What a time for Sarfaraz Khan to come up with a stunning knock! The ignored India star slammed 73 off just 22 deliveries for Mumbai during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Rajasthan. An innings adorned with 6 fours and 7 sixes at a strike rate of 331.82.

We are just 30 minutes away from the start of the IPL auction. An exciting event for all cricket fans as all eyes will be on Cameron Green who is widely expected to be the costliest pick and even challenge Rishabh Pant's Rs 27 crore record in last year's auction. On the other hand, Ravi Bishnoi is being considered as the Indian player who will end up getting the big money with some franchises looking for a quality spinner.

A sensational development - India's 17-year-old wicket-keeper batter Abhigyan Kundu has just smashed 209 off just 125 balls against Malaysia in the U19 Asia Cup 2025. It is the fastest double century in professional 50-over cricket history!

Unfortunately... Abhigyan Kundu is not in the IPL auction today.

PBKS Needs: Last year's runners-up are mainly going to look out for a replacement for Josh Inglis, who they released as the Australian is set to be unavailable for the majority of IPL 2026. They may also eye a Glenn Maxwell replacement.

PBKS Potential Targets: Jamie Smith, Cooper Connolly, Jonny Bairstow, Daryl Mitchell, Jake Fraser-McGurk

GT Needs: Gujarat Titans will be eyeing a middle-order stalwart, possibly of the overseas kind, after trading Sherfane Rutherford to MI. Given Kagiso Rabada's injury record, GT may also be aiming to get an overseas fast bowler. 

GT Potential Targets: David Miller, Venkatesh Iyer, Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Cooper Connolly

DC Needs: Overseas batters are set to be at the top of Delhi Capitals' wishlist, having let go of both Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk. DC's batting is the main area needing improvement, and they'll be on the hunt for at least one opener. An Indian pacer could also be wanted by them.

DC Potential Targets: David Miller, Jamie Smith, Quinton de Kock, Auqib Dar, Simarjeet Singh

LSG Needs: Lucknow Super Giants' main priority is likely to be solving their middle-order problems, and add more steel, as they have released David Miller ahead of the auction. They could also a spinner.

LSG Potential Targets: Liam Livingstone, Kartik Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhinav Manohar

RR Needs: Rajasthan Royals' priority is likely to be getting an Indian spinner, having released both Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. They could also look for a top-order Indian batter to fill the shoes of the departed Sanju Samson.

RR Potential Targets: Ravi Bishnoi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Chahar, Michael Bracewell, David Miller

SRH Needs: Sunrisers Hyderabad will be eyeing up a couple of Indian fast-bowling options, possibly a high-profile Indian spinner, and maybe a finisher as well. They could also aim for backups for their overseas stars like Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen.

SRH Potential Targets: Kartik Sharma, Auqib Dar, Venkatesh Iyer, Salil Arora, Ravi Bishnoi

MI Needs: Mumbai Indians are also all set to go. The five-time champions have their playing XII ready, and even most of their backups. An alternate option for Ryan Rickelton and an Indian spin-bowling option will be their main requirements.

MI Potential Targets: Quinton de Kock, Jonny Bairstow, Finn Allen, Salil Arora, Sarfaraz Khan

RCB Needs: RCB's team is as good as complete. The reigning champions will be on improving players already in their team. An Indian top-order batter, middle order backup and an Indian spinner could be their main priorities.

RCB Potential Targets: Venkatesh Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, David Miller, Rahul Chahar, Prithvi Shaw

KKR Needs: Where do we start? KKR have the most holes to fill. The three-time winners ideally need a top-order overseas batter, who can keep wickets. They'll also look for a bonafide Andre Russell replacement, a finisher and an overseas fast bowler. KKR may also bid for a captaincy candidate.

KKR Potential Targets: Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Kartik Sharma

CSK Needs: CSK will primarily look to bolster their lower middle-order, which has been affected by the trades of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. A lead Indian spinner and an overseas pacer could be their other targets.

CSK Potential Targets: Liam Livingstone, Ravi Bishnoi, Matheesha Pathirana, Matt Henry Prashanth Veer

Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone or any other overseas player cannot earn more than Rs 18 crore, even if they fetch a bid northwards of that amount. The bidding can cross that figure, but the player won't earn more than Rs 18 crore.

This rule is also to prevent overseas players from skipping mega auctions to register only for mini-auctions.

Ravi Bishnoi could end up being one of the highest earners today. Franchises like CSK, SRH and RR are in the hunt for a frontline spinner. Apart from Bishnoi, Rahul Chahar is another Indian spinner in the auction with good IPL pedigree. 

England's Liam Livingstone could well be one of the highest-earning players in the IPL 2026 auction. A middle-order power-hitter who can bowl a bit of spin, Livingstone was released by RCB ahead of the auction. However, given the requirements of many teams for powerful options in the middle-order, Livingstone is expected to fetch more than the Rs 8.75 crore he went for last year.

Given the dearth of established overseas all-rounders, Livingstone could fetch bids from multiple franchises, and not just CSK or KKR.

The massive bids attracted by uncapped Indian talents are often the biggest talking points of an IPL mini auction. Let's take a look at 10 uncapped players who could go for big money today:

1. Auqib Nabi: fast bowler

2. Tushar Raheja: wicket-keeper batter

3. Kartik Sharma: wicket-keeper batter

4. Salil Arora: wicket-keeper batter

5. Ashok Sharma: fast bowler

6. Akash Madhwal: fast bowler

7. Vignesh Puthur: spinner

8. Prashant Veer: all-rounder

9. Kanishk Chouhan: all-rounder

10. Abhinav Manohar: batter

New Zealand's wicket-keeper batter Tim Seifert has also made a serious impression just a day ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Playing for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL), Seifert smashed 102 off just 56 balls against Brisbane Heat yesterday.

Overseas and Indian fast bowlers are expected to be wanted by many teams today, in particular CSK and KKR who have big budgets. Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana is the most high-profile name in the auction, and could trigger a big bidding war.

New Zealand's Jacob Duffy and Matt Henry, South Africa's Gerald Coetzee, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi and India's Akash Deep and Auqib Nabi are all expected to be wanted by franchises.

Two names expected to go for big money today have just sent another message to the IPL teams this morning. Venkatesh Iyer has smashed 70 off just 43 balls for Madhya Pradesh, as an opener against Punjab in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) clash.
Punjab's talented young wicket-keeper batter Salil Arora has also slammed a quickfire half-century!

This year's IPL auction will be quite lowkey due to the absence of some big names from the pool. Andre Russell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell are among the big name absentees from the IPL 2026 auction. Russell and Ashwin have retired from the IPL, while Du Plessis opted to play in the PSL this year.

At 39, Jalaj Saxena will be the oldest player in the auction while Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran is the youngest at just over 18 years.

New Zealand's Devon Conway, Australia's Jake Fraser-McGurk, South Africa's David Miller, and India's Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw are also part of the first set of batters. All overseas stars in this set have a base price of Rs 2 crore, while the two Indian players have set their base price at Rs 75 lakh.

The mini-auction is always more intriguing than the mega auction as franchises come with specific choices and are always ready to go the distance to procure the services of players with distinct skill-sets. Pace bowling all-rounders always come at a premium and therefore, the troika of Cameron Green, Venkatesh Iyer and West Indies' Jason Holder, all coming at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore (USD 220,000), are set to headline the bidding war.

Just few hours before the auction, India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer delivered a timely reminder of his credentials with a polished 70 off 43 deliveries for Madhya Pradesh in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite 2025 Super League Group A fixture against Punjab. This knock will definitely boost his chances of fetching large sum at the auction. 

There is buzz that Cameron Green might surpass Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore) to become the overseas player with the highest price tag at an IPL auction but there would still remain a catch. Even if Green's bid goes northwards of Rs 25 crore, his salary for the season would still be Rs 18 crore. The bid amount and players' salary would be mutually exclusive with the former being deducted from team's annual player purse. The reason being IPL's "maximum-fee" rule which states that a foreign player's maximum fee at a mini auction will be the lower value between the highest retention slab (Rs 18 crore) and the highest price at the previous mega auction (Rs 27 crore for Rishabh Pant in 2025).

Australia all-rounder Cameron Green, along with out-of-favour India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer and English dasher Liam Livingstone, is likely to enjoy a handsome payday. Kolkata Knight Riders, with a purse of Rs 64.30 crore and an eye on rebuilding the outfit with 13 slots to fill, can only be challenged by Chennai Super Kings, who enter the mini-auction with a purse of Rs 43.40 crore.

The 10 teams need to fill up 77 slots with a cumulative purse of Rs 237.55 crore and among them.

CSK: 9 (4 overseas)

Delhi Capitals 8 (5 overseas)

Gujarat Titans: 5 (4 overseas)

Kolkata Knight Riders: 13 (6 overseas)

Lucknow Super Giants: 6 (4 overseas)

Mumbai Indians: 5 (1 overseas)

Punjab Kings: 4 (2 overseas)

Rajasthan Royals: 9 (1 overseas)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 8 (2 overseas)

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 10 (2 overseas)

1. Kolkata Knight Riders: Rs. 64.30 crore

2. Chennai Super Kings: Rs. 43.40 crore

3. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Rs. 25.50 crore

4. Lucknow Super Giants: Rs. 22.95 crore

5. Delhi Capitals: Rs. 21.80 crore

6. Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rs. 16.40 crore

7. Rajasthan Royals: Rs. 16.05 crore

8. Gujarat Titans: Rs. 12.90 crore

9. Punjab Kings: Rs. 11.50 crore

10. Mumbai Indians: Rs. 2.75 crore

One of the most highly-anticipated days of the Indian cricket calendar, franchises will splash out big money as they aim to bolster their teams for IPL 2026. With the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) having massive purses, the mini-auction is likely to make a fair few millionaires

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the IPL 2026 mini auction, straight from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Stay tuned for all the Live Updates.