IPL 2026 auction: 1,355 players up for grabs, Cameron Green and Venkatesh Iyer in Rs 2 crore base price

The longlist for the IPL 2026 auction, featuring 1,355 registered players, has been released and shared with franchises after the registration window closed on November 30, reports suggest.

At the top tier, 45 players have entered the highest reserve price of Rs. 2 crore, including names such as Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone, Matheesha Pathirana, and Wanindu Hasaranga, while Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi are the only Indians in this elite group.

With only 77 slots available across 10 franchises, including 31 spots for overseas players, teams are set to submit their shortlists by December 5, after which the final auction pool will be confirmed. The auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16 will be a major event as franchises aim to strengthen their squads ahead of the 2026 season.

Australia’s Cameron Green is expected to be a key attraction. Having missed the 2025 mega-auction due to a back injury, the versatile allrounder — known for his batting, bowling, and fielding skills — is likely to draw intense bidding.

Among franchises, Kolkata Knight Riders, with a purse of Rs. 64.3 crore, and Chennai Super Kings, with Rs. 43.4 crore, are viewed as the frontrunners, particularly with open overseas slots. KKR is likely to be aggressive after Andre Russell’s recent IPL retirement.

Several recently released players have also joined the top price bracket. Pathirana, released by CSK despite being a key death bowler, and Livingstone, let go by RCB after a difficult season, are notable inclusions.

For India, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi, previously retained for significant sums, have now opted for the highest reserve category following their release.

No Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis Returns

The longlist excludes Glenn Maxwell, who fractured his finger in the 2025 season, raising uncertainty about his IPL future. On the other hand, Josh Inglis, a vital part of Punjab Kings’ run to the 2025 final, has re-entered the auction pool again despite reportedly being available for only 25 per cent of the season due to personal commitments.

The auction has also attracted international talent from 14 countries, ranging from established names like Steve Smith, Mustafizur Rahman, Rachin Ravindra, and Gerald Coetzee, to emerging stars such as Jake Fraser-McGurk and Jamie Smith. Veteran Shakib Al Hasan, who has featured in 71 IPL matches across nine seasons, has set his base price at Rs. 1 crore.

Alongside overseas stars, 16 prominent Indian players, including Mayank Agarwal, KS Bharat, Rahul Chahar, Prithvi Shaw, and Navdeep Saini, have registered for the auction. Adding a unique entry, India-born Malaysian allrounder Virandeep Singh has listed himself at a base price of Rs. 30 lakh.

With franchises collectively holding Rs. 237.55 crore and numerous high-profile vacancies, the IPL 2026 auction is shaping up to be a high-stakes battle for talent, strategy, and squad composition.

Players With Rs. 2 Crore Base Price

Ravi Bishnoi, Venkatesh Iyer, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Sean Abott, Ashton Agar, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Steve Smith, Mustafizur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Liam Livingstone, Tymal Mills, Jamie Smith, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryll Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Gerald Coetzee, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Rilee Roussouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mateesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph