IPL Auction 2026 Preview: Star attractions, key targets and the battles that will define the night | Cricket News

The IPL Auction 2026 mini-auction promises intrigue not through volume, but precision. With franchises arriving armed with targeted shopping lists, the spotlight firmly rests on a skewed demand-supply dynamic — especially for seam-bowling all-rounders — that could make Cameron Green the biggest beneficiary when bidding begins in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Across the league, the 10 franchises must fill 77 slots with a combined purse of Rs 237.55 crore. Mumbai Indians, with just Rs 2.75 crore left, will largely remain spectators, possibly adding a couple of uncapped names at base price. The real power lies elsewhere, particularly with Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, both poised to shape the auction.

KKR enter with a massive purse of Rs 64.30 crore and 13 slots to fill as they look to rebuild following a season of upheaval. CSK, meanwhile, have Rs 43.40 crore at their disposal and a reputation for backing specific skill-sets rather than chasing names. That combination makes both franchises natural front-runners in the chase for premium all-rounders.Pace-bowling all-rounders always command a premium, and the trio of Cameron Green, Venkatesh Iyer and Jason Holder — all listed at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore — are expected to dominate the early stages of bidding. While Green’s IPL numbers (704 runs and 16 wickets in 29 matches) are modest, the mini-auction is driven more by demand than past output. An Australian all-format regular who offers batting depth and seam bowling is a rare commodity.Despite talk of Green surpassing Mitchell Starc’s Rs 24.75 crore record, there is an important caveat. Under IPL’s “maximum-fee” rule, even if bidding crosses Rs 25 crore, Green’s season salary will be capped at Rs 18 crore — the highest retention slab — with the excess deducted from the team purse.

Livingstone, de Kock and value buys in focusVenkatesh Iyer represents a different gamble. His Rs 23.75 crore price tag last season was widely questioned, and his form dipped sharply. With no Right To Match card available in the mini-auction, KKR will need to bid smartly if they wish to bring him back. A figure around Rs 10 crore would be seen as fair value this time.England’s Liam Livingstone and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock are also expected to draw heavy interest. Livingstone’s ability to change games with bat and ball — highlighted by his brutal assault on Rashid Khan in The Hundred — adds to his appeal, while de Kock remains a proven match-winner and a reliable wicketkeeper.Among other names, Matheesha Pathirana could attract aggressive bids from teams like Lucknow Super Giants, who are short on pace depth, while New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy’s rising T20I stock makes him a dark horse. Uncapped Indians Ashok Sharma, Prashant Veer and Mukul Choudhary are also likely to spark interest, with Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan hoping their low base prices reopen IPL doors.In a mini-auction defined by scarcity, franchises will pay not for reputation, but for fit — and those holding the purse strings know it.