"Will be a game of Rs 25-30 crore"- Ravichandran Ashwin picks these two Australian players as two costliest buys of IPL 2026 auction

Ravichandran Ashwin played for CSK in the IPL 2025.

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has predicted the most costly buys of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction. He feels that it will be tough for the franchise to get Indian players, and hence overseas stars will be fetching a good amount. 

The IPL 2026 is still far away from now, but the buzz of it has been taking its toll on the fans. The trade rumours have started to circulate, and some of the big players have been put at the helm of things, keeping fans and ex-cricketers engaged in it. 

One of the biggest rumours is about Sanju Samson leaving the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and going to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in place of Ravichandran Ashwin. Also, there is an auction expected to take place later this year, and the franchises will soon submit their lists of released players. 

Big players who failed to make a mark in IPL 2025 are expected to be part of the auction. This means that there will be big bidding wars, and it won’t be a surprise if records get shattered yet again. 

They’ll go at a big price because they are foreign all-rounders – Ravichandran Ashwin on Mitchell Owen and Cameron Green

But according to Ravichandran Ashwin, franchises won’t be releasing big Indian players. And the focus will be on the Australian players. Speaking in a video on his Hindi YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat, he said: 

“This will be a mini auction where you’ll find it tough to get Indian players. Maybe only new players will come. The costly picks will be overseas players. A franchise releasing a big Indian player is a very risky formula. So many Australian players will come in the auction,” Ashwin stated. 

Ravichandran Ashwin predicted Mitchell Owen to get big money along with Cameron Green in the auction. He feels that the bidding event will be a game of Rs 25-30 crore for all teams. 

“You’ve got Mitchell Owen, who was a replacement player for three games for Punjab Kings. Then you’ve got someone like Cameron Green coming into the auction. They’ll go at a big price because they are foreign all-rounders,” Ashwin said. 

“The mini-auction will be a game of Rs 25-30 crore for all teams,” he added. 

Recently, Ravichandran Ashwin confirmed that he has asked for clarity from CSK. There were some reports as well which claimed that the off-spinner has told the franchise that if he doesn’t fit in the scheme of things, then he doesn’t mind parting ways with them. 

Ravichandran Ashwin had a torrid time with the ball in IPL 2025. He played nine matches and gave away runs at an economy of 9.12 runs an over, the first time that his economy went past 8.49. The off-spinner picked just seven wickets and was one of the main reasons behind the team’s poor performance.

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