Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) splurged a record-breaking ₹25.20 crore to land top Australian all-rounder Cameron Green and ₹18 crore to acquire Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana in the Indian Premier League (IPL) players’ auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (December 16, 2025).

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also made a clear statement by investing ₹14.20 crore each in rookies Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma – two of the most expensive uncapped players in IPL history.

Nine domestic uncapped players broke into the crorepati club, with three more fetching bids in excess of ₹90 lakh.

Liam Livingstone also made a late splash in the recall round, with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) spending ₹13 crore on the England all-rounder.

Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi Dar also attracted a hefty sum of ₹8.40 crore from Delhi Capitals (DC) to be among the top gainers in the mini auction. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) signed Madhya Pradesh left-arm pace-bowling all-rounder Mangesh Yadav for ₹5.20 crore.

Among established Indian names, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi — two of the most high-profile releases ahead of the auction — also commanded healthy prices. Rajasthan Royals (RR) brought in Bishnoi as its lead spinner for ₹7.20 crore, while RCB finally landed Venkatesh Iyer after being outbid by KKR last season, holding firm until KKR withdrew at ₹7 crore.

Also read | IPL auction 2026: Green emerges costliest overseas player ever; windfall for Pathirana

Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards was bought by SRH for ₹3 crore. New Zealand’s Tom Banton and Adam Milne went to the Gujarat Titans (GT) for ₹2 crore and RR for ₹2.40 crore, respectively, at the accelerated round.

In total, all 77 players were signed at the auction as franchises spent ₹215.45 crore combined. Unsurprisingly, KKR emerged as the biggest spender, having entered the auction with a purse more than ₹20 crore higher than its nearest rivals.

Here is a full list of sold players and the teams they are going to represent in IPL 2026:

A limited supply of proven, match-winning overseas options and the growing fearlessness of India’s next generation combined to produce one of the standout narratives of the Indian Premier League auction on Tuesday (December 16, 2025): nine domestic uncapped players breaking into the crorepati club, with three more fetching bids in excess of ₹90 lakh.

While the scale of the spending may have surprised viewers and fans, it was far less unexpected inside the auction room.

“I just wonder if we are now seeing the true product of T20 cricket coming to the fore,” said Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming. “It certainly started last year, maybe even the year before. Earlier, my view was that experience would win. But now you’re seeing fearless athletes who’ve grown up on T20 cricket and possess a skill set that is mouth-watering.”

Fleming believed the defining trait of the new generation is the absence of fear. “They have no concern about the environment in which they need to express their skills. That’s something we have to acknowledge — the T20 babies are coming through. Sometimes, experienced players can get caught trying to read the game too much.

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“These young players only know one way, and that freedom has real appeal, especially as the game gets faster and faster. It’s a natural by-product of T20 being around for a long time now.”

CSK was at the forefront of this shift. A franchise once labelled ‘Dad’s Army’ for its reliance on experience, CSK made a clear statement by investing ₹14.20 crore each in rookies Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma — two of the most expensive uncapped players in IPL history.

Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani, whose franchise went all out to sign Jammu & Kashmir medium-pacer Auqib Nabi, echoed Fleming’s views, stressing that the demand for domestic talent continues to rise.

“Only when someone has to bring it against you do they go that high,” Badani said. “That tells you the kid has something in him — like a Prashant Veer or a Kartik Sharma. There’s a reason franchises are willing to go to ₹12 or ₹14 crore. One player doesn’t go that far on his own. It reflects a bigger picture — a lot of young boys are coming through.”

The auction, in that sense, may have offered a glimpse into the future of the IPL.

Chennai Super Kings splurged a record-breaking ₹28.4 crore for uncapped Uttar Pradesh spinner Prashant Veer and wicketkeeper batter Kartik Sharma, both going for ₹14.2 crore each.

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Veer, 20-year-old, has featured in just nine T20 games for Uttar Pradesh in his young career. But as an accurate left-arm spinner and big-hitting left-hand batter, he had done his bit in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season to garner the interest of Chennai Super Kings in particular. Given that CSK has parted ways with Ravindra Jadeja, the franchise’s keenness to rope in a youngster in Jadeja’s mould was expected.

Besides taking nine wickets in seven matches while conceding just 6.76 runs per over in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Veer also smashed 112 runs at a strike rate of nearly 170. Veer, from Amethi, had also shown spark for Noida Super Kings in the UP T20 League.

In a matter of minutes, the 19-year-old from Rajasthan, Kartik Sharma, joined Veer in becoming the most expensive uncapped buys at an IPL auction. The wicketkeeper-batter may be wet behind the ears, but his clean striking had been catching the attention of IPL franchises going into the auction. He made his senior debut for Rajasthan in all three formats last season and has already cracked hundreds in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – the domestic T20 competition – he has scored 334 runs so far at a strike rate of 162.92. As many as 168 of these runs have come in sixes, illustrating his ability to clear the boundary at will.

The Etihad Arena — adjacent to the picturesque Yas Marina Formula One circuit — was illuminated by football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence only last week.

On Tuesday (December 16, 2025), the iconic venue will once again be at the centre of global sporting attention when franchises splurge lakhs and crores at the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) Player Auction.

Since the IPL’s inception in 2008, the auction has evolved into a spectacle that is followed as keenly as — if not more than — the two-and-a-half months of on-field action that follows in the Indian summer.

Despite divided opinion on whether the auction has lost some of its sheen with stalwarts like Andre Russell, Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis either retiring from or opting out of the league, anticipation has been palpable ever since franchise think-tanks began arriving in the United Arab Emirates over the past few days.

Cameron Green is expected to be one of the costliest buys, particularly after the Australia all-rounder confirmed his availability to bowl despite being listed as a batter in the opening set.

Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who was released by Chennai Super Kings, could also trigger a bidding war, notwithstanding concerns over his fitness.

Among Indian players, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi — both released after commanding hefty sums last season — will be hoping to inch closer to their previous pay cheques of ₹23.75 crore and ₹11 crore, respectively.

While Mumbai Indians, with the smallest purse (₹2.75 crore), and Punjab Kings, with the fewest slots to fill (four), are likely to play a relatively subdued role, the spotlight is expected to remain on Kolkata Knight Riders and CSK.

Photo credit: The Hindu

Together, the two franchises account for more than 40% of the total auction purse and have opted for significant overhauls after underwhelming IPL 2025 campaigns.

Both could target Green and Venkatesh, though their choices among overseas pacers will be closely watched. CSK, meanwhile, is also in the market for a proven Indian spinner.

Another intriguing subplot is whether Prithvi Shaw finds a second lease of life after going unsold at last year’s mega auction. Shaw is understood to have reached out to multiple franchises, with team owners weighing the balance between his undeniable talent and disciplinary concerns.

Most franchise representatives will participate via teleconference, with Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer set to be the most prominent player present inside the auction room.

Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw — the intriguing batters who went unsold in last year’s full auction — have been named in the opening set of players for the Indian Premier League (IPL) Player Auction ahead of the 2026 edition. The auction is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16.

Sarfaraz, surprisingly ignored by the national selectors despite a promising start to his Test career, found no bidders in the previous full auction. Shaw — who was dropped by Mumbai midway through the domestic season before being passed over by IPL franchises — has since moved to Maharashtra. The shift has worked for him, as he has rediscovered consistency with the bat and displayed noticeable improvement in his fitness.

Both Sarfaraz and Shaw now feature in the first set of capped batters with a base price of ₹75 lakh. They are grouped with Devon Conway, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, and David Miller – each carrying a base price of ₹2 crore. Notably, Green – the Australian allrounder – has been listed only as a batter for the auction.

The final auction list was released by the IPL authorities on Tuesday (December 9, 2025) morning, just a week before the auction. The pool features 350 players — 240 Indians and 110 overseas cricketers — with a maximum of 77 signings available.

The second set includes Venkatesh Iyer (base price ₹2 crore) – the high-priced allrounder released by Kolkata Knight Riders – along with Deepak Hooda (₹75 lakh) and five high-profile overseas allrounders.

Of the 350 names, 40 cricketers have opted for the highest base price bracket of ₹2 crore, while 227 uncapped domestic players have fixed their base price at ₹30 lakh – the lowest among the eight available brackets.