IPL 2026 - IPL 2026 Auction Pool Finalized, Steve Smith & Prithvi Shaw among the registered names, Glenn Maxwell opts out of IPL 2026

Registration for the 2026 Indian Premier League mini-auction has been completed. A total of 1,355 players, including both foreign and Indian players, have registered. The auction is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16th, and all eyes are now on the final shortlist.
Only two Indians in the base price of Rs 2 crore
The highest base price in the auction is set at ₹2 crore (approximately $20 million). A total of 45 players have entered this category. Notably, 43 of these 45 players are foreign players, while only two Indian players have entered this bracket. These two Indian players are Venkatesh Iyer and spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who were released by their franchises last month.
Some big players are out
According to ESPNCricinfo, young Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is among the big names in this auction list. Steve Smith and Josh Inglis have also registered. On the other hand, some prominent players are not participating in this auction. Veteran Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell's name is not on the registration list. Experienced players like Faf du Plessis, Andre Russell, and Moeen Ali are also excluded from the auction this time.
How much space and money do the teams have?
All 10 franchises have a total of 77 slots available for player acquisitions, with a maximum of 31 for foreign players. In terms of purse balance, Kolkata Knight Riders have the highest remaining purse of ₹64.30 crore (64.30 crore), while Chennai Super Kings are also in a strong position with ₹43.40 crore (43.40 crore). In contrast, Mumbai Indians have the lowest remaining purse of just ₹2.75 crore (27.5 million).
Players with a base price of 2 crore Indian Rupees
Cameron Green, Naveen-ul-Haq, Sean Abbott, Jake Fraser-Magark, Inglis, Smith, Bishnoi, Venkatesh Iyer, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Ashton Agar, Cooper Connolly, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Livingstone, Mills, Jamie Smith, Duffy, Matt Henry, Banton, Kyle Jamieson, Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Coetzee, Miller, Ngidi, Fabian Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Nortje, Russo, Shamsi, Wiese, Hasaranga, Pathirana, Theekshana, Holder, Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph
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