All The Surprising Names That Went Unsold At The 2026 IPL Auctions – Esquire India

An IPL auction without twists? Impossible
The Indian Premier League 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi had money flying from the very first hammer fall. Cameron Green smashed records after being picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore, becoming the most expensive overseas buy in IPL history. Chennai Super Kings made waves too, snapping up Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer for ₹14.2 crore each, the joint most expensive uncapped purchases ever.

Yet, for all the fireworks, the auction delivered an equally dramatic subplot: a list of established international stars and proven IPL performers who walked away unsold.

Held on Tuesday, December 16, at the Etihad Centre, the auction saw 10 franchises attempt to fill 77 slots from a pool of 369 players. While some early shocks were softened by late bids (Prithvi Shaw eventually landed at Delhi Capitals for ₹75 lakh and Sarfaraz Khan joined CSK for the same amount) the silence around several capped overseas players was far more telling.
One of the biggest surprises of the auction was Devon Conway going unsold at a base price of ₹2 crore. The former Chennai Super Kings opener was a cornerstone of their 2023 title-winning campaign, scoring 672 runs in 16 matches. Overall, Conway has 1,080 IPL runs at an average of 43.20 and a strike rate of 139.71.

A thumb injury ruled him out of the entire 2024 season, and while he returned in 2025, he was used largely as an Impact Player, scoring 156 runs in six outings. With most teams already settled at the top of the order, Conway seemingly became a victim of timing rather than talent.
Jamie Smith’s unsold status raised eyebrows across the room. The England wicketkeeper-batter entered the auction at ₹2 crore and was called multiple times, including during the accelerated rounds. Franchises even asked auctioneer Mallika Sagar for time to confer, but no bid followed.
At 25, Smith is regarded as one of England’s most exciting white-ball prospects. He has scored 130 runs from five T20Is at a strike rate of 194.02, and across 97 domestic T20s, he has 1,687 runs at 144.31, with consistent performances in The Hundred. His ability to bat anywhere from opener to finisher made his snub particularly puzzling.
Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman made history in 2018 as the youngest-ever IPL player at 17, picking up 14 wickets in 11 matches for Punjab Kings in his debut season. He stayed with the franchise for three years before moving to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2021.
After spending multiple seasons on the sidelines, Mujeeb returned with Mumbai Indians in 2025 but failed to make a lasting impact. Entering the auction again at a ₹2 crore base price, the spinner found no takers, reflecting how quickly team needs and bowling trends have shifted.
Few snubs were as startling as Jake Fraser-McGurk’s. The explosive Australian opener burst onto the IPL scene with Delhi Capitals, producing rapid-fire fifties and earning a reputation as a fearless power-hitter.
Despite a ₹2 crore base price and clear upside, Fraser-McGurk went unsold even during accelerated rounds, signalling a possible shift away from raw aggression toward more defined role-players.
Jonny Bairstow’s name going unsold at a base price of ₹1 crore was another major talking point. The England international has long been valued for his power-hitting and wicketkeeping versatility. His most productive IPL season came with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019, and he later represented Punjab Kings before injury ruled him out of the 2023 edition.
Bairstow returned in 2025 with Mumbai Indians but featured in just two matches. Despite strong recent form – 878 runs in 30 T20s this year at a strike rate of 149.1, including a 22-ball 47 in the IPL Eliminator against Gujarat Titans – teams stayed away, possibly due to overseas slot calculations.
Steve Smith’s IPL journey appears to have quietly stalled. The former Australia captain, who last played in the league in 2021 for Delhi Capitals, went unsold yet again. Despite being shortlisted at a base price of ₹2 crore, his name did not even trigger a bidding war.
Smith previously captained Rising Pune Supergiant to the 2017 final and was once a fixture in IPL middle orders. But with teams prioritising power-hitters and flexible all-rounders, his traditional batting profile continues to fall out of favour.
West Indies captain Shai Hope was another surprise omission. Across formats in 2025, Hope has been outstanding: 556 runs in 19 T20Is against Australia, including four fifties and a century, and 678 ODI runs at an average of 55.8.
While not as explosive as some of his wicketkeeper-batter peers, Hope offers stability and experience, qualities that, surprisingly, did not translate into bids in an auction dominated by aggressive profiles.
New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell also failed to attract interest despite fitting the middle-order all-rounder mould several teams needed. He has struck at over 145 in three of the last four T20 seasons and owns 96 wickets in the format at an average of 25.20.
In 2025 alone, Bracewell picked up 23 wickets in 29 matches at an economy rate of 9.39, numbers that would typically appeal in the IPL ecosystem. Yet, franchises opted for either younger domestic options or specialist overseas picks.
Among Indian players, Deepak Hooda’s unsold tag stood out. The experienced all-rounder, previously a key figure for Lucknow Super Giants, entered the auction at a modest ₹75 lakh after strong domestic performances.
Known for his middle-order hitting and part-time off-spin, Hooda was called twice but received no bids, underlining franchises’ growing preference for uncapped Indian prospects over established names.
Several factors contributed to these unexpected snubs. With heavy spending during retentions, many teams approached the auction with tight purses and clearly defined needs. Franchises like Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru leaned heavily toward untested Indian talent, reserving limited overseas slots for niche roles.
Injury histories, recent dips in IPL impact, and mismatches with team combinations also played a role. While a few players may yet return as injury replacements, the unsold list from the IPL 2026 auction was a stark reminder of how unforgiving and fast evolving the league has become.

Read more about:
Every quarter, we deliver a newsletter packed with insights.
By subscribing, you agree to receive emails from us as per our terms and privacy policy.
Esquire India is published by RP – Sanjiv Goenka Group under license from Hearst Communications, Inc., New York, United States of America

source