IPL Auction 2026: Green light for a spending spree

MUMBAI: With two prominent franchises — Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 64.30 crore) and Chennai Super Kings (Rs 43.40 crore) — armed with hefty purses, Cameron Green, Quinton de Kock and Liam Livingstone could be in line for big paydays at the IPL mini-auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. It will be the third successive overseas IPL auction, following earlier editions in Dubai and Jeddah.

A cumulative purse of Rs 237.55 crore will be available as the 10 teams look to fill 77 slots. While Lucknow Super Giants (Rs 22.95 crore) are another major buyer, Mumbai Indians, with just Rs 2.75 crore, sit at the other end of the spectrum. With their core largely settled, MI, Punjab Kings (Rs 11.50 crore) and Gujarat Titans (Rs 12.90 crore) are unlikely to be major players.



Punjab Kings’ auction plans, however, will get a boost from the presence of their captain Shreyas Iyer, who has flown to Abu Dhabi to attend the proceedings even as head coach Ricky Ponting gives the mini-auction a miss.

Green is expected to attract strong interest as franchises hunt for seam-bowling all rounders despite the Impact Player rule. If he strikes big, the 26-year-old could join fellow Australians Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore) and Pat Cummins (Rs 20.50 crore), who fetched massive sums in recent auctions.

However, under the IPL’s maximum-fee rule, a foreign player’s price at a mini-auction is capped at the lower of the highest retention slab (Rs 18 crore) and the highest price at the previous mega auction (Rs 27 crore, paid for Rishabh Pant in 2025), meaning Green cannot earn more than Rs 18 crore.

Gujarat Titans likely to go for a finisher

Gujarat Titans, with a limited purse of only Rs 12.9 crore, may go looking for a finisher as the rest of the squad looks well-balanced, like it has always been.

Gujarat Titans owner Jinal Mehta is excited about the upcoming season. In Ashish Nehra and the rest of the coaching staff, he sees a unit worthy of keeping the momentum going.

“Ashish has been instrumental in shaping the culture and direction of the team. His and the coaching staff’s consistency have helped build a strong, united group. The success we’ve achieved in a short span is reflective of this. We’re confident the franchise will continue to perform under him,” Mehta told TOI.

He’s not too worried about the franchise’s limited purse at the auction either. “Our purse position at the auction reflects the fact that we have been able to retain the core of our squad, which was a key priority for us.

"With only a few available slots to fill, we go into the auction with confidence in the group we already have; and will look to make additions that best complement group. We believe in building sustainably and making decisions that strengthen the team in the long term,” he says.

Easwaran’s name added to auction list

Abhimanyu Easwaran has received a late boost ahead of the auction. The BCCI has added the Bengal captain’s name to the final auction list, TOI has learnt. He will enter the auction at a base price of Rs 30 lakh.

Indian players set for new deal

Prithvi Shaw
(Maharashtra) Batter | Base price: Rs 75 lakh
Shaw will hope for better luck at the auction after going unsold last year. The aggressive opener was Maharashtra’s highest run getter in the first leg of the Ranji Trophy. He scored 183 runs in seven matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Sarfaraz Khan
(Mumbai) Batter | Base price: Rs 75 lakh
A big name in first-class cricket, Sarfaraz went unsold in the last two IPL auctions. He has been in scorching form this season batting at No. 3 in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 100* (47 balls) vs Assam, 52 (40) vs Kerala, 28 (15) vs Odisha and 64 (25) vs Haryana.

Auqib Nabi
(J&K) Bowler | Base price: Rs 30 lakh
The seamer has been the most successful bowler in the Ranji Trophy over the last two seasons, picking up 44 wickets at 13.93 in 2024–25 and 29 wickets in five matches at the same average this season. The Baramulla-born pacer has never played in the IPL. Will that change this time?

Venkatesh Iyer
(MP) Allrounder | Base price: Rs 2 crore
Bought for a whopping Rs 23.5 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders last year, Venkatesh Iyer is unlikely to command a similar price this time. An ordinary IPL 2025 — 142 runs in 11 matches at 20.28 — saw him even dropped from the KKR XI. However, the 30-year-old offers experience and pedigree.

Salil Arora
(Punjab) Wicketkeeper-batter | Base price: Rs 30 lakh
Salil Arora has caught the attention of IPL scouts with a stunning blitz in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, smashing 125 off 45 balls (including a 39-ball century) with 11 sixes and nine fours. For franchises in search of explosive Indian batting firepower, Arora could be a value pick.

Others to watch: Rahul Chahar, Kumar Kushagra, Kartik Sharma, Sairaj Patil, Tushar Raheja, Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani

Overseas players who could land a big payday

Cameron Green
(Australia) Allrounder | Base price: Rs 2 crore
The 26-year-old, who previously played for Mumbai Indians (2023) and RCB (2024), missed IPL-2025 while recovering from back surgery. He is currently bowling in the Ashes.

Quinton de Kock
(South Africa) Wicketkeeper-batter | Base price: Rs 1 crore
Back in international cricket with renewed hunger, De Kock has been in sublime form against India. The 32-year-old left-handed opener and experienced keeper could spark a bidding war.

Jonny Bairstow
(England) Wicketkeeper-batter | Base price: Rs 1 crore
A proven IPL performer across franchises, Bairstow scored 85 runs in two matches for Mumbai Indians in IPL-2025 at a strike rate of 184.78. At a modest base price, the aggressive 36-year-old is expected to draw interest.

Tim Seifert
(New Zealand) Wicketkeeper-batter | Base price: Rs 1.5 crore
Seifert sent a timely reminder of his explosiveness with a 53-ball hundred for Melbourne Renegades in the BBL. He has a T20I strike rate of 142.52.

Liam Livingstone
(England) Allrounder | Base price: Rs 2 crore
A feared T20 hitter who also bowls leg-spin and off-spin, Livingstone brings vast league experience. On Dec 3, he smashed 82 off 38 balls* for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.