Costliest player in IPL 2026, cheapest player in auction and list of unsold players

The IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi saw franchises spend aggressively, rewrite records, and leave several big names unsold. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged as the biggest headline-makers, while uncapped Indian players enjoyed a historic payday.Costliest player in IPL 2026 auctionKolkata Knight Riders created history by signing Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for Rs 25.20 crore, making him the most expensive player ever bought in an IPL auction.Green’s signing broke Mitchell Starc’s earlier overseas record of Rs 24.75 crore. A fierce bidding war between KKR and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pushed the price beyond the Rs 18 crore salary cap. Under IPL auction rules, Green will earn Rs 18 crore as player salary, while the remaining amount from the bid will be allocated to the BCCI’s player development programme.Green has previously played for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru and has featured in twenty-nine IPL matches, scoring seven hundred and seven runs and taking sixteen wickets.Most expensive uncapped playerUncapped Indian spinner Prashant Veer was one of the biggest stories of the auction. Chennai Super Kings picked up the twenty-year-old left-arm spinner from Uttar Pradesh for Rs 14.20 crore, making him the most expensive uncapped player in IPL auction history.Prashant Veer entered the auction at a base price of Rs 30 lakh, underlining the massive jump in valuation for emerging Indian talent.Another uncapped player to benefit big was Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi Dar, who was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.40 crore, also from a base price of Rs 30 lakh.Most expensive overseas and Sri Lankan playerKKR further strengthened their squad by signing Matheesha Pathirana for Rs 18 crore. The Sri Lankan fast bowler, who had a base price of Rs 2 crore, became the most expensive Sri Lankan player ever sold at an IPL auction.KKR entered the bidding after Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants stepped away, eventually sealing the deal at Rs 18 crore, which falls entirely within the salary cap.Cheapest player in IPL 2026 auctionSeveral players were sold at the minimum base price of Rs 30 lakh, making them the cheapest buys of the auction. These included:Vignesh Puthur to Rajasthan RoyalsPrashant Solanki to Kolkata Knight RidersYash Raj Punja to Rajasthan RoyalsKartik Tyagi to Kolkata Knight RidersShivang Kumar to Sunrisers HyderabadThese low-cost signings allowed franchises to add squad depth without stretching their budgets.Other notable buysVenkatesh Iyer was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for Rs 7 crore, with KKR stepping away from the bidding.Ravi Bishnoi joined Rajasthan Royals for Rs 7.20 crore.David Miller was picked up by Delhi Capitals at his base price of Rs 2 crore.Quinton de Kock returned to Mumbai Indians for Rs 1 crore.Anrich Nortje was signed by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 2 crore.Big names who went unsoldDespite strong reputations and recent performances, several prominent players failed to attract bids at the IPL 2026 auction. Notable unsold names included:Prithvi ShawSarfaraz KhanDevon ConwayRachin RavindraLiam LivingstoneJonny BairstowRahmanullah GurbazDeepak HoodaRahul ChaharMaheesh TheekshanaMujeeb RahmanFazalhaq FarooqiShivam MaviAkash DeepSpencer JohnsonSarfaraz Khan, in particular, entered the auction fresh off a blistering twenty-two-ball seventy-three in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, yet found no takers.Auction takeawayThe IPL 2026 auction highlighted a clear trend: franchises are willing to spend heavily on proven all-rounders and high-potential uncapped Indian players, while reputation alone no longer guarantees a bid. With record-breaking deals, surprise snubs and strategic low-cost buys, the Abu Dhabi auction set the tone for an intriguing IPL season ahead.