IPL 2026 Auction: Top five biggest Indian players to go under the hammer

The IPL 2026 auction will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.

A total of 1390 registered their names for the upcoming auction of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). Among them, only 350 have been shortlisted, who will feature at the top. This list includes 240 Indian players and 110 overseas stars.

Among them, 230 are uncapped players from India, and 15 are uncapped overseas stars. These players are registered in different price brackets, starting from INR 40 lakhs to INR 2 crore.

The IPL 2026 auction is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, in Abu Dhabi. Many star Indian names were released by their respective IPL teams and will be available for purchase in the auction. In this article, we will talk about the top five Indian stars to go under the hammer at the IPL 2026 auction.

5. Prithvi Shaw

With teams preferring an explosive top order, the T20 openers should have the ability to start quickly. Prithvi Shaw excels with the bat. Shaw is a well-known name at the IPL level and has played a few international matches.

His career has seen many ups and downs, but irrespective of everything, he is a star player. Shaw can hit the ball from the start, and his experience and current form can attract many buyers at the auction.

4. Akash Deep

Indian right-arm quick Akash Deep is among the top Indian players at the IPL 2026 auction. Lucknow Super Giants released the Indian pacer after having him for the IPL 2025 for INR 8 crore. The 28-year-old had a difficult last season but has since performed well in tests.

Akash’s good spells in Australia and England, and some crucial batting innings, have put him in contention for India whenever they travel abroad. After his international experience, he has improved and will be a good option for the teams. Akash Deep is registered with the 1-crore price category.

3. Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan made his IPL debut in 2015. Since then, he has played 50 IPL matches for three different teams. He didn’t have great IPL numbers, which is why he went unsold last season. But Sarfaraz has shown much improvement and has worked hard on his T20 batting.

He has played some outstanding innings for Mumbai in the ongoing SMAT 2025-26, and will be the one to watch out for. He is registered with a price bracket of INR 75 lakhs.

2. Ravi Bishnoi

Indian leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi will be among the top Indian names at the IPL 2026 auction. He has registered himself in the 2 crore price bracket. Bishnoi was with Lucknow Super Giants for INR 11 crore and was released.

But the former No. 1-ranked T20I bowler is a wicket-taker in the middle. He is difficult to score on, and this is one thing teams want to have. An Indian capped spinner is something teams like SRH, RCB, RR, and CSK are looking for.

1. Venkatesh Iyer

The Indian all-rounder, Venkatesh Iyer, made headlines when the three-time champion, Kolkata Knight Riders, broke their back to acquire him at the IPL 2025 auction for a price of INR 23.75 crore.

He became one of the costliest players ever in the auction. But he couldn’t repay the trust with his performance. He scored only 142 runs at 20.28 and was released later on.

One can say he wasn’t used properly. But now, he is back, and irrespective of the last season, he brings a lot to the table. He can bat in the top order and can bowl useful overs. He might not get 20 crore or more, but he will certainly be among the top Indian players at the auction.

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