The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season ended with several star-studded teams finishing in the bottom half of the table. Reputed franchises like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) finished tenth and eighth respectively, opening up the scope for them to make a lot of deals ahead of IPL 2026. Legendary former India spinner and CSK star Ravichandran Ashwin - who is himself at the centre of IPL trade window gossip - has made his picks for the costliest buys of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Ashwin predicted that overseas players will be more in demand than Indian players during the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
"This will be a mini auction where you'll find it tough to get Indian players. Maybe only new players will come. The costly picks will be overseas players," Ashwin said, speaking on his Hindi YouTube channel 'Ash ki Baat'.
"A franchise releasing a big Indian player is a very risky formula. So many Australian players will come in the auction," Ashwin stated.
In particular, Ashwin pointed out two Australian stars who could fetch big bucks in the mini-auction.
"You've got Mitchell Owen, who was a replacement player for three games for Punjab Kings. Then you've got someone like Cameron Green coming into the auction. They'll go at a big price because they are foreign all-rounders," Ashwin elaborated.
"The mini-auction will be a game of Rs 25-30 crore for all teams," Ashwin stated.
Ashwin also suggested that Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Mayank Yadav could be among the high-profile Indian players who enter the auction. Mayank was retained for Rs 11 crore by LSG, but persistent injuries have limited his game time significantly.
Prior to the IPL 2026 mini-auction, which is likely to be held in November or December 2025, the IPL trade window has been heating up.
High-profile names like Sanju Samson and KL Rahul have been reported to be wanted by teams like CSK and KKR, who are aiming to bounce back after poor seasons.
Meanwhile, Ashwin himself could be a part of the trade window deals. Ashwin was purchased for Rs 9.75 crore by CSK but endured an underwhelming season, picking up only seven wickets in nine matches.
Samson, on the other hand, has formally handed in a request to be traded or released into the auction to his franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR), as per a report by Cricbuzz, due to severe differences with the team management.