From high-profile foreign stars to scrappy Indian match-winners, the base-price bracket is ₹2 crore. ipl 2026 auction is filled with big names brought into the limelight by cameron green, Venkatesh Iyer, Steve Smith And Wanindu Hasaranga,
A total of 45 players have entered the auction at this maximum reserve price, highlighting just how competitive the Abu Dhabi event will be on December 16, with only 77 slots across the 10 franchises – including 31 foreigners – available.
Franchises are rethinking strategy, only two Indians for ₹2 crore
In stark contrast to the foreign-heavy nature of the bracket, only two Indian players – legspinner Ravi Bishnoi and all-rounder Venkatesh – have listed themselves in the ₹2 crore category. Both were high-value assets in previous cycles: Bishnoi was retained by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹11 crore last season, while KKR used the RTM card to secure Venkatesh for a massive ₹23.75 crore in the last mega-auction before releasing him after a weak 2025 campaign. Their presence at the top base price reflects confidence in their particular skills – Bishnoi as a wicket-taking bowler in the middle overs and Venkatesh as a left-handed top-order option with seam-bowling utility.
The long list also offers some interesting subplots around absences and availability. glen maxwellReleased by Punjab Kings after a poor 2025 season and fitness concerns, does not feature at all in the 1,355-player long list, while Moeen Ali has chosen Pakistan Super League over IPL 2026, due to which the demand for foreign all-rounders has increased towards names like Green, Hasaranga and so on. darryl mitchell,
josh ingliswho was instrumental in Punjab Kings’ run to the 2025 final, has re-entered the auction but with an availability cap of only 25% for the 2026 season due to personal reasons, meaning teams will need to factor his restricted window into their bidding strategies.
Big money group led by global stars
There are 1,355 registered players in the long list for the IPL 2026 mini-auction, but the spotlight rests on an elite group of 45 cricketers who have picked up the top base price of ₹2 crore. Among the overseas names, Australia’s Green, Smith and Inglis are all indicating they are ready for fresh IPL opportunities at the highest starting prices.
Green is seen as the marquee all-rounder of this auction after skipping the 2025 mega-auction due to a back injury, with Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings being well placed financially to pursue him aggressively, with their purses standing at ₹64.30 crore and ₹43.40 crore respectively. KKR in particular are expected to look for a similar successor andre russell Following the Caribbean player’s IPL retirement, Green’s fast bowling, middle-order hitting and elite fielding have become an almost perfect tactical fit.
With franchises required to submit their shortlists by December 5, the initial 45-member ₹2 crore group is expected to make the cut, making each retained name in this bracket a clear indicator of which players teams actually see as potential game-changers for IPL 2026.
Also read: Cameron Green in, Glenn Maxwell out: 1,355 players register for IPL 2026 auction
IPL 2026 Auction: List of cricketers with base price of ₹2 crore
- India: Ravi Bishnoi, Venkatesh Iyer
- afghanistan: Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Naveen Ul Haq
- Australia: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Ben Cutting, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Steve Smith
- Bangladesh: Mustafizur Rahman
- England: Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Daniel Lawrence, Liam Livingstone, Tymal Mills, Jamie Smith
- new zealand: Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, William O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra
- South Africa: Gerald Coetzee, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Riley Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese
- Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga, Mathisha Pathirana, Mahesh Teekshana West Indies: Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph
Also read: ‘If not KKR then…’: Venkatesh Iyer reveals his plans and ambitions for IPL 2026 mini auction
