Green fetches big bucks but uncapped players steal limelight at IPL 2026 auction

New Delhi: Predictably, there was a bidding war for Cameron Green at IPL 2026 auction, with Kolkata Knight Riders ultimately buying him for Rs 25.20 crore, making him the costliest overseas player in the tournament’s history.

But it was the uncapped Indian players that grabbed headlines as franchises welcomed young domestic talent in anticipation of getting dividends if they develop on their promise under their wings.

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings had a forgettable campaign last year and in measures for course correction, they smashed the record for the most expensive uncapped Indian player, paying Rs 14.2 crore each for 20-year old left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Prashant Veer from Uttar Pradesh, and 19-year old wicketkeeper Kartik Sharma from Rajasthan.

Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi got Rs 8.4 crore from Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 8.4 crore, while defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru spent Rs 5.2 crore for 23-year-old pacing bowling all-rounder Mangesh Yadav.

Five other uncapped Indians went past the 1 crore mark, with Kolkata Knight Riders bidding big on keeper Tejasvi Dahiya (Rs 3 crore), fellow glovesmen Mukul Choudhary received Rs 2.6 crore from Lucknow Super Ginats and Salil Arora went to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 1.5 crore.

LSG was also keen on batter Akshat Raghuwanshi (Rs 2.2 crore) and pacer Naman Tiwari (Rs 1 crore).

Also in demand were Ashok Sharma, who Gujarat Titans picked up for Rs 90 lakh while CSK fancied Aman Khan for Rs 40 lakh.

Daksh Kamra, Sarthak Ranjan, Prashant Solanki, and Kartik Tyagi all went for Rs 30 lakh each as KKR added depth to their squad.

Rajasthan Royals signed Ravi Singh for Rs 95 lakh, Sushant Mishra for Rs 90 lakh, Vignesh Puthur and Yash Raj Punja for Rs 30 lakh each to emerge as one of the busiest teams in the uncapped market.

Sunrisers Hyderabad also joined in the trend to welcome Krains Fuletra, Praful Hinge, Amit Kumar, Onkar Tarmale, Sakib Hussain and Shivang Kumar for their base price of Rs 30 lakh each.

By the end of the auction, it was clear that franchises were keen to tap into emerging talent apart from placing big bids on some proven performers.

CSK coach Stephen Fleming said they have kept a tab on Sharma and Veer, keeping in mind the team’s evolution and also explaining why all teams were eager to get hold of fresh faces.

"Kartik Sharma, we had him last year and he did some trialing with us. We've been watching Kartik for some time and I'll go back to the scouting and the work that's done in a lot of tournaments," CSK coach Stephen Fleming said.

"Prashant Veer, given that we needed that kind of skillset with trading Jadeja for Sanju and we identified him as a good talent going forward and filling that spot for us, doing that skillset.

"We knew if we can get a strong core of local players I think your team's in good shape, and sometimes you have to invest time in them and also money because what is happening is the scouting on numerous tournaments around India are becoming very important.

"So players are being watched and being studied and being bought with a view to perform in the way they're performing now but also another eye on the future.

"The fact it can be life-changing is a very rewarding aspect for doing something that they love. But first and foremost they are bought for their skills and that's what they've been identified as doing which is a celebration for them and their family."