Wed Dec 17 10:20:00 UTC 2025: Summary:

The IPL 2026 mini-auction concluded with 77 players being bought for a total of ₹215.45 crores. Cameron Green was the biggest buy, acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore, making him the most expensive foreign player. However, 79 players went unsold, including notable international stars like Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jonny Bairstow, Daryl Mitchell, and Devon Conway, and established Indian players like Deepak Hooda and Vijay Shankar. 369 players were initially shortlisted, but only 156 were actually auctioned, and some previously unsold players were later picked up.

News Article:

Green Becomes Most Expensive Foreign Player as IPL 2026 Auction Concludes; Several Stars Go Unsold

Abu Dhabi – The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction wrapped up on Tuesday, with franchises splurging a collective ₹215.45 crores on 77 players, paving the way for an exciting upcoming season. Australian all-rounder Cameron Green emerged as the headline act, with Kolkata Knight Riders securing his services for a record-breaking ₹25.20 crore, making him the most expensive foreign player in IPL history.

While the auction witnessed intense bidding wars for sought-after talent, a total of 79 players found themselves without a team at the end of the day. This included 48 Indian players and 31 international stars, a surprising turn of events considering the high demand usually seen at mini-auctions.

Among the prominent names that went unsold were international batsmen like Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jonny Bairstow, Daryl Mitchell, and Devon Conway. Alzarri Joseph, Gus Atkinson, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Spencer Johnson were some of the other high-profile international players who feature in the list of unsold players in IPL 2026. Several established Indian cricketers, including Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, KS Bharat, Karn Sharma, Murugan Ashwin and Chetan Sakariya, also failed to attract any bids.

Initially, 369 players were shortlisted for the auction, but only 156 were eventually put under the hammer in Abu Dhabi. Former Australian captain Steve Smith and ex-India international Mayank Agarwal were among the 213 players who were skipped entirely.

In a dramatic twist, 19 players, including Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan, who initially went unsold, were later acquired during accelerated bidding rounds, giving them a lifeline in the upcoming season.

The absence of players like Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis, who opted to skip IPL 2026, was also notable. The results of the IPL 2026 mini-auction have set the stage for an unpredictable and fiercely competitive season, with franchises now strategizing on how to best utilize their newly acquired talent.

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