IPL auction 2026: 350 players to go under hammer, all eyes on Cameron Green

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction is set to unfold in Abu Dhabi on December 16, with franchises gearing up for high-stakes bidding and fierce competition. The final player list features 350 cricketers, including 240 Indians and 110 overseas players, setting the stage for one of the deepest auctions in recent seasons.

The shortlist was drawn from an initial pool of 1,390 registered players, underscoring the intensity of the selection process. Notably, the auction pool includes 224 uncapped Indian players and 14 uncapped overseas players, injecting a strong dose of fresh talent and long-term prospects into the mix.

Franchises will battle it out for 77 available slots, of which 31 are earmarked for overseas players, making every foreign pick a premium asset.

At the top end, the highest reserve price remains ₹2 crore, with 40 players opting to enter the auction at this bracket. Nine players have set their base price at ₹1.5 crore, while four are slotted at ₹1.25 crore and 17 players at ₹1 crore.

The middle and lower tiers are equally crowded. As many as 42 players are listed in the ₹75 lakh category, four at ₹50 lakh, seven at ₹40 lakh, and a massive 227 players have entered at the base price of ₹30 lakh, ensuring plenty of tactical choices for teams looking to balance star power with value buys.

All eyes, however, will be on Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who is tipped to trigger a bidding war as franchises scramble for a power-hitting, multi-dimensional match-winner. Adding a late twist to the auction narrative, Quinton de Kock, George Linde and Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage—absent from the initial list—have been drafted into the final roster, further spicing up an already explosive auction day.

Speaking on 'TATA IPL 2026 Auction War Room', JioStar expert Robin Uthappa commented on Kolkata Knight Riders' bidding strategy for Australian all-rounder Cameron Green and Chennai Super Kings' likely approach for the 2026 auction. "I knew CSK would also go after a middle-order all-rounder. I thought they would go somewhere around 25-28 crore. Realistically, I think they would go up to around ₹20 crore in the actual auction, because they would want to keep space for other Indian and overseas players as well. But in the mock auctions, I was ready to go up to 35 crore for a player like Green. I think Cameron Green should bat at No. 3 in the order," Uthappa said.