BIG UPDATE! BCCI drops 1040 players from IPL 2026 auction list, adds 35 surprise entries, mega star returns after franchise demand; Check who made the cut
BCCI has narrowed down the IPL 2026 mini-auction list to 350 players, including 35 surprise inclusions like Quinton de Kock. The auction will take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16, with an accelerated phase featuring capped and uncapped players and after the 70th player. Exciting offers are expected.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has significantly shortened its preliminary list of 1,390 players for the IPL 2026 mini-auction, narrowing it down to 350. This nearly 75% reduction comes after extensive consultations with teams and includes 35 unexpected players not in the starting lineup.
Auction Schedule and Location
The auction will begin at 1pm local time (14:30 IST) on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Franchises were notified of the final list late on Monday night, setting the stage for one of the most closely watched mini-auctions in recent IPL history.
Surprise Content: Quinton de Kock Tops the List
The most notable addition is South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock. Originally not on the longlist, de Kock was added to the third baseman-batter lot after a franchise requested his inclusion. The 33-year-old, who recently came out of international retirement, sparked renewed interest by scoring a century in Visakhapatnam. Its base price is 1 billion Indian rupees, half of the 2 billion Indian rupees it bought in the previous mega auction.
Other international newcomers include Sri Lanka’s Traveen Mathew, Binura Fernando, Kusal Perera, Dunith Wellalage, Arap Gul from Afghanistan, Akeem Auguste from the West Indies and several South African players. On the domestic front, new names include Vishnu Solanki, Parikshit Valsangkar, Sadek Hussain and Izaz Sawariya.
Auction Format and Key Groups
The auction will start with limited-overs players grouped by specialist roles: batsmen, all-rounders, wicket-keeper batsmen, fast bowlers and spinners. Unlimited players will follow in the same order. The BA1 opening group features top names like Cameron Green, Devon Conway, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Prithvi Shaw and David Miller, while Venkatesh Iyer leads the AL1 all-round group.
Accelerated Stage
The accelerated phase of the auction will start after the 70th player, which is currently Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran. In this round, players ranked 71 to 350 will go under the hammer, followed by a quick session for unsold or unpromoted names.
Expectation Structures
With a mix of international stars, domestic talent and surprise entries, the IPL 2026 mini auction promises exciting bidding wars. Franchises will have the opportunity to strategically strengthen their rosters, making this a key event heading into the new season.
