The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi: Australia’s Cameron Green, England’s Liam Livingstone, India’s Ravi Bishnoi and Venkatesh Iyer, and Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana are among 45 players who have entered the 2026 IPL auction with the highest base price of ₹2 crore, according to ESPNcricinfo.
A total of 1,355 players have registered for the auction, with the full list shared with franchises on Monday after the November 30 deadline. With each team allowed a 25-member squad, 77 slots are available this year, including 31 for overseas players.
The IPL will now prune the long list once all ten franchises submit their wishlists by December 5. The auction is scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
Green Tops List as Franchises Eye Key Roles
Among the Indian players in the ₹2 crore bracket, specialists in high-impact roles are expected to attract strong bids. However, the spotlight is firmly on Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who missed the 2025 mega-auction due to a back injury. KKR, with a large purse of ₹64.3 crore, and CSK, with ₹43.4 crore, are seen as the top contenders for Green.
KKR are particularly expected to chase him aggressively following Andre Russell’s IPL retirement. Green’s multi-dimensional skill set—batting across positions, seam bowling, and exceptional fielding—makes him one of the most valuable players in the pool.
Team Needs Shape the Market
KKR released nine players, including Venkatesh Iyer, who had cost the franchise ₹23.5 crore at the previous mega-auction. They now have 12 vacancies, including six for overseas players. CSK, five-time champions, have nine slots open, four for overseas recruits.
Several players released this year have entered the top price bracket. This includes Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana—retained by CSK for ₹13 crore in 2025 but let go after an injury-hit season—and RCB’s Liam Livingstone, who struggled to make an impact last year.
Among Indian players, Bishnoi and Venkatesh Iyer have opted for the ₹2 crore base price. Bishnoi, retained by LSG for ₹11 crore last season, was released after four years with the team.
Maxwell Missing; Inglis Returns with Limited Availability
A major omission from the long list is Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. The 37-year-old was acquired by Punjab Kings for ₹4.2 crore last season but fractured his finger midway through the 2025 campaign. He was replaced by fellow Australian Mitchell Owen, who has been retained.
In contrast, PBKS’ wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is back in the auction despite being a key figure in their run to the final. However, the IPL has clarified that Inglis will be available for only 25% of the 2026 season due to personal commitments.
Players in the ₹2 Crore Base-Price Group
The players listed in the highest base-price bracket include:
Ravi Bishnoi, Venkatesh Iyer, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Sean Abbott, 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, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Gerald Coetzee, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese, Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, and Alzarri Joseph.
