The Board of Control for Cricket in India has locked in the final roster for the IPL 2026 auction, scheduled for December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. From an initial registration of 1,390 candidates, the list has been pruned to 350 players; 240 Indians and 110 overseas recruits, post discussions with the franchises.
In a formal communication to the franchises regarding the schedule, the board clarified, "The first accelerated will cover all the players from 71-350. Once these players have been presented, franchises will be requested to submit the names of the players (unpresented and unsold) from all those on the full list of 350 for further accelerated presentation."
Among the 35 new additions to the final pool, South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock stands out as a surprise entry. Originally absent from the list, De Kock was added to the third lot of wicketkeeper-batters following a specific franchise recommendation. This inclusion follows his reversal of international retirement and a recent century against India in Visakhapatnam.
The 33-year-old enters with a base price of INR 1 crore, half his previous price tag with Kolkata Knight Riders. The auction order will see capped players presented by role, starting with a heavyweight batting set (BA1) featuring Cameron Green, Devon Conway, David Miller, and Prithvi Shaw. The accelerated process is expected to kick in after player number 70, Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran.
Financially, the Kolkata Knight Riders enter the bidding war with the deepest pockets, holding a purse of ₹64.3 crore after retaining only 12 players from their 2025 squad. Chennai Super Kings follow with a budget of ₹43.4 crore, while Mumbai Indians will operate with the tightest purse of just ₹2.75 crore.
The highest reserve price bracket of INR 2 crore features 40 players, including marquee names like Wanindu Hasaranga, Rachin Ravindra, and Jake Fraser-McGurk. The updated roster also reflects a global expansion of talent, with new overseas faces such as England’s Miles Hammond and Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage joining domestic late entrants like Vishnu Solanki and Sadek Hussain.
While the auction promises excitement, the 2026 season will proceed without several stars who have defined the league over the last decade. Glenn Maxwell opted out, stating on Instagram, "I’ve decided not to put my name in the auction this year. It’s a big call, and one made with a lot of gratitude."
Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali will also miss the event to play in the Pakistan Super League, while R Ashwin confirmed his IPL retirement earlier this year after a final stint with CSK.
