The countdown has started and the excitement about the IPL 2026 auction is already at its peak. With just a few days to go, all the franchises are gearing up for another dramatic and action-packed IPL 2026 auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
A total of 1355 cricketers had registered for the IPL 2026 auction and from that huge list, only 350 players have been shortlisted for the auction in Abu Dhabi next week. With only 77 slots left and only 31 of them for foreign players, competition is extremely tough.
IPL 2026 auction set for explosive bidding war
Mini auctions are usually known for sudden bidding wars and unexpected price explosions, and the upcoming event is expected to be no different. The increase in player value over the last few years has been incredible.
Last season, Rishabh Pant made headlines when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) picked him up for a surprise Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.
Right behind them, Shreyas Iyer was bought by Punjab Kings (PBSK) for Rs 26.75 crore in the 2025 mega auction, and Venkatesh Iyer was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 23.75 crore.
These big numbers show how quickly the league has grown and how much teams are willing to invest in players who can change games.
The stars who first shone on the IPL auction stage
This dazzling trend has come a long way since its early days. It all started in 2008 when the great MS Dhoni was sold to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 6 crore. This was the highest bid in the first IPL auction and marked the beginning of a great partnership between them.
The following year, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff topped the charts with Rs 7.55 crore when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and CSK brought them in, respectively. The real turning point came in 2011, when current Indian head coach and former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir crossed the Rs 10 crore barrier with a deal worth Rs 11.04 crore from the franchise.
Then in 2012, Ravindra Jadeja was the highest-paid player in the IPL when CSK spent Rs 12.8 crore to acquire the services of the Indian all-rounder. In 2013, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell topped the charts as Mumbai Indians bought him for Rs 6.3 crore.
How did IPL prices increase from 2014 to 2025?
Later, Yuvraj Singh dominated back-to-back auctions in 2014 and 2015 with RCB and Delhi with huge deals worth Rs 14 crore and then Rs 16 crore respectively. In 2016, Shane Watson was the most expensive player, with RCB spending Rs 9.5 crore for the former Australian all-rounder.
After that, England all-rounder Ben Stokes got a big-money deal worth Rs 14.5 crore with Rising Pune Supergiants and Rs 12.5 crore with Rajasthan Royals in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy also have the honor of being the joint most expensive players in the 2019 season after RR and KKR spent Rs 8.4 crore for their services.
In 2020, Australian captain and fast bowler Pat Cummins ruled the charts with a deal worth Rs 15.5 crore with KKR. Chris Morris surprised everyone by signing a fantastic deal of Rs 16.25 crore with Royals in 2021.
But the level kept rising with big contracts like Ishan Kishan (15.25 crore, MI in 2022) and Sam Curran (18.5 crore, Punjab Kings in 2023), until Mitchell Starc rewrote history with a surprise deal of Rs 24.75 crore with KKR in 2024.
