Nikhil Chaudhary has become one of the most talked-about names ahead of the IPL 2026 auction after registering as an Indian domestic cricketer. The all-rounder, who plays first-class cricket and the Big Bash League in Australia, has been officially listed as an uncapped Indian for the upcoming mini-auction.
The IPL Governing Council has confirmed the final list of players for the auction to be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16, with 350 names shortlisted for teams to bid on. With all ten franchises preparing for the new season, the auction will serve as an important opportunity for them to address team shortcomings and strengthen their line-ups.
Many big names are in discussion before IPL auction
Many big names including Cameron Green, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Jamie Smith and Quinton de Kock have been the talk of the town ahead of the IPL auction.
The auction will start with the capped players, who will be grouped based on their roles. These groups include batsmen, all-rounders, wicketkeeper-batsmen, fast bowlers and spin bowlers. After that, the auction will proceed for uncapped players in the same order.
Cameron Green will open the first set of batsmen along with Devon Conway, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sarfaraz Khan, Prithvi Shaw and David Miller. Venkatesh Iyer has been placed in the first list of names in the all-rounders category.
As per the schedule, the quick part of the auction will start after player number 70, who is Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran. Unlike the mega auction, the auction is a one-day event.
Nikhil Chaudhary named as an uncapped Indian all-rounder in IPL 2026 auction
Nikhil Chaudhary has been named as the uncapped Indian all-rounder in the IPL 2026 auction. His inclusion surprised many fans, especially since he has been playing full-time domestic cricket overseas, including the Big Bash League.
Nikhil Chaudhary is eligible because he started his career in India. He made his List A and T20 debut for Punjab in 2017 before moving to Australia in 2020. His state association is still officially listed as Punjab Cricket Association, which allows him to register as an Indian player.
Nikhil Chaudhary, 29, has represented the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, scoring 386 runs and taking nine wickets in 20 matches. He has also been a part of Tasmania’s first-class setup.
Nikhil Chaudhary is only the second Indian-origin cricketer to feature in the BBL after Unmukt Chand. Notably, the BCCI does not allow active Indian players to participate in foreign leagues unless they are completely retired from Indian cricket.
More details about Indian Premier League 2026 Mini Auction
Ten IPL franchises will compete for 77 squad vacancies in the upcoming auction, which also includes 31 slots for overseas players. Out of 1390 initial registrations, the IPL Governing Council shortlisted 350 players, including 240 Indian and 110 foreign cricketers.
A total of 224 uncapped Indian players and 14 uncapped foreign players will enter the auction. Forty players have chosen the highest base-price category of Rs 2 crore.
The auction will begin on Tuesday, December 16 at 2:30 PM IST, giving teams one last chance to strengthen their squads after announcing their retained players earlier this year.
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