IPL 2026 auction list cut to 350 players as de Kock headlines surprise entries – cricexec
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The IPL has finalized a 350-player shortlist for its 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi, cutting nearly 75% of initial registrations and adding 35 unexpected names, including Quinton de Kock after a strong Major League Cricket season.
By Cricexec Staff
| 6:40 am
The IPL has officially confirmed that 350 players will go under the hammer at the 2026 Player Auction, to be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
“The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) Player Auction list for the 2026 season has been finalised, featuring a total of 350 players who will go under the hammer at the upcoming auction in Abu Dhabi on 16th December.”
— IPL Media Advisory, issued December 9, 2025
This refined list follows a major reduction from the initial pool of 1,390 registered names. The auction pool now includes 240 Indian players and 110 overseas entrants.
“A total of 1390 players registered for the Player Auction, out of which 350 players were shortlisted; 240 Indian and 110 are overseas recruits.”
— IPL Media Advisory, issued December 9, 2025
Breakdown of capped and uncapped players in IPL 2026 auction
Player Category Number of Players
Capped Indians 16
Capped Overseas 96
Uncapped Indians 224
Uncapped Overseas 14
Total 350
Among the 350 available, franchises will compete for 77 open slots, including 31 for overseas players.
Top-tier names have opted for the highest reserve price of ₹2 crore (approx. US$222k), with 40 players listing themselves in this elite bracket.
“The highest reserve price remains INR 2 crore, with 40 players choosing to enter the auction in this bracket.”
— IPL Media Advisory, issued December 9, 2025
Player reserve prices for IPL 2026 auction
Reserve Price (INR) Approx. USD Value Number of Players
₹2 crore US$ 222K 40
₹1.5 crore US$ 167K 9
₹1.25 crore US$ 139K 4
₹1 crore US$ 111K 17
₹75 lakh US$ 83K 42
₹50 lakh US$ 56K 4
₹40 lakh US$ 44K 7
₹30 lakh US$ 33K 227
Total 350
The auction will begin with capped players, categorized by their roles — batters, all-rounders, wicketkeeper-batters, pacers, and spinners. Uncapped players will follow the same format.
Key names in the opening batch include Cameron Green, Devon Conway, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Prithvi Shaw, and David Miller. Venkatesh Iyer headlines the first group of all-rounders.
The accelerated auction phase is expected to begin after player number 70 — Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran — with players 71 to 350 entering a rapid-fire bidding sequence. Post this round, franchises may nominate unsold or unpresented players for final bids.
“The auction is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM UAE time (2:30 PM IST) on Tuesday.”
— IPL Media Advisory, issued December 9, 2025
Perhaps the most talked-about name among the 35 surprise entries is South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock, who was not on the initial longlist but was later included at a franchise’s request. The 33-year-old has recently returned from international retirement and reignited interest with a century in Visakhapatnam.
De Kock’s inclusion comes on the back of an impressive run in the 2025 Major League Cricket season, where he represented MI New York. He played 12 matches and finished as the third-highest run-scorer in the league with 373 runs at an average of 31.08 and a strike rate of 142.91. His campaign included four half-centuries, a top score of 77, and a combined tally of 35 fours and 18 sixes. MI New York went on to lift the title — their second in three years.
De Kock enters the IPL auction with a base price of ₹1 crore (approx. US$111k), half of what he commanded in the previous mega auction.
Alongside de Kock, several overseas players are making their IPL auction debuts. This includes Sri Lanka’s Traveen Mathew, Binura Fernando, Kusal Perera, and Dunith Wellalage; Afghanistan’s Arab Gul; England’s Miles Hammond and Dan Lategan; West Indies’ Akeem Auguste; and South Africa’s Connor Eztherhuizen, George Linde, and Bayanda Majola.
The domestic pool has also been refreshed with the addition of Indian players such as Sadek Hussain, Vishnu Solanki, Sabir Khan, Brijesh Sharma, Parikshit Valsangkar, and Izaz Sawariya, among others. These names were not part of the initial list circulated to franchises and were included after further evaluation.
This year’s mini-auction reflects a more streamlined and strategically curated list, driven by franchise inputs and performance metrics. With only 77 slots available and several unexpected entrants, bidding is expected to be highly competitive — especially for power-packed talents like de Kock and breakout domestic names.
The stage is set in Abu Dhabi for a high-stakes auction that balances experience, youth, and opportunity — and marks the next phase in shaping squads for IPL 2026.
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