The IPL 2026 auction is a few days away from now and the buzz has already begun. A total of 350 players have been listed for the auction on December 16 after the BCCI added 35 players to the final list.
Among the new additions were the likes of Quinton de Kock, Dunith Wellalage, and George Linde. Of the 350 players, 240 are Indians and 110 overseas. The list comprises of 224 uncapped Indians and 14 uncapped overseas players.
There are a total of 40 players placed in the top price bracket of Rs 2 crore, with only two Indians, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi, part of it. While the franchises might go after top bracket players like Cameron Green, David Miller and Gerald Coetzee, there will be some top-priced players who might go unsold in the bidding war.
Players listed at the base price of Rs 2 crore that might go unsold
1 - Jake Fraser-McGurk: Australia's hard-hitting batter, Jake Fraser-McGurk, caught the eyes of all with his aggressive batting avatar. However, he has lost his touch and was released by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2026 auction. Fraser-McGurk is not in much form, and teams might not want to churn out Rs 2 crore for him.
2 - Ben Duckett: Another overseas opening batter who might find no bidders in the auction can be Ben Duckett. The Southpaw had a horrific Hundred when he scored just 123 runs in eight innings at an average of 17.57 and a strike rate of 114.95. With no form on his back, he might not find any takers.
3 - Anrich Nortje: South African pacer Anrich Nortje might also find it hard to find buyers in this auction. While he is a gun bowler, Nortje is coming on the back of a long injury lay-off. He recently returned in the CSA T20 challenge, but will have to prove himself in the T20I series against India to stand a chance of getting picked up.
4 - Steve Smith: Steve Smith can be another one who might miss out on getting a team this IPL. He is a Test legend, but his stocks in T20s are thin. Smith last played the IPL in 2021, and his recent T20 tournament - the Hundred - was not good as he made just 137 runs in eight innings.
5 - Tom Curran: England fast-bowler Tom Curran might also not find takers in the IPL 2026 auction. Curran has played only three IPL seasons, with the last one coming in 2021. While he was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the Hundred, he had only a couple of impressive outings in the English tournament, and the teams might not spend such a big amount on him.
