A total of 1355 cricketers from around the world have registered for the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, which is scheduled to be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This number shows the auction will be packed with drama, surprises, and massive bidding wars.
Each franchise is allowed to have a maximum of 25 players, and based on the current squad lists, there are 77 spots still open across the ten IPL teams. Out of these 77 slots, only 31 can be given to overseas players, while the rest will go to Indian players.
1,355 players register for IPL 2026 Auction as Abu Dhabi gears up for mega event
As reported by ESPNCricinfo, 43 overseas players and two Indian players have placed themselves in the ₹2 crore maximum base price category for the IPL 2026 auction. This top bracket includes Australian all-rounder Cameron Green and Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, and both are expected to attract huge attention.
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Green had missed the entire IPL 2025 season due to injury, which makes his comeback even more exciting for teams looking for a solid all-round option for the next season. On the other hand, Pathirana will reportedly be a top target for many franchises after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) surprisingly released him ahead of the auction.
Currently, Mitchell Starc holds the record for the most expensive player at the IPL mini-auction. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had spent ₹24.75 crore to sign the Australia pacer in 2024. This record may not be broken this time, and that was taken by the KKR.
KKR arrive with ₹64.30 crore purse, but BCCI introduces ₹18 crore salary cap for overseas players
Notably, KKR enters the 2026 auction with a massive purse of ₹64.30 crore after retaining only 12 players. But this year, there is a major twist. The BCCI has introduced a new rule that changes the salary structure for the overseas players in mini auctions.
According to this rule, no overseas player can earn more than ₹18 crore, even if the bidding crosses that amount. This new rule was introduced before the 2025 mega auction, setting ₹18 crore as the highest slab for overseas retention.
The rule states that if a franchise bids more than ₹18 crore for any overseas cricketer, the player will still receive only ₹18 crore. The extra amount, anything above ₹18 crore, will be taken by the BCCI and used for player welfare programs.
Indian players free from ₹18 crore cap
However, the full bid amount (for example, ₹20 crore) will still be deducted from the team’s purse. This rule does not apply to Indian players. If an Indian cricketer is bought for ₹20 crore or more, he will receive the entire amount without any deduction.
This means if players like Green or Pathirana get a ₹20 crore bid at the upcoming auction, they will personally take home ₹18 crore, and the remaining ₹2 crore will go to BCCI’s welfare fund. However, the franchise will have to pay the full ₹20 crore from its auction money.
