Thursday, May 07
Uncapped Indian talent drew massive attention, with Uttar Pradesh’s 20-year-old left-arm spinner Prashant Veer and Rajasthan’s 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma both landing lucrative Rs 14.20 crore deals with Chennai Super Kings. Having entered the auction at a base price of Rs 30 lakh each, the pair went on to become the highest-paid uncapped players in IPL auction history.
Chennai Super Kings made significant moves at the IPL 2026 auction, securing uncapped talents Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer for Rs 14.2 crore each. Head coach Stephen Fleming cited a need for specific skillsets and lessons learned from the previous season. Meanwhile, Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas player, acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 25.20 crore.
IPL 2026 is set to commence on March 26 and conclude on May 31, with the opening match potentially at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, pending government clearance. Franchise representatives met in Abu Dhabi to finalise these dates ahead of Tuesday's auction. The auction will feature a pool of 359 players, with marquee names like Cameron Green expected to fetch high bids.
A new IPL rule caps overseas player salaries at INR 18 crore, regardless of auction bids, to enforce financial discipline and prevent inflation. While franchises pay the full bid amount, the excess goes to the BCCI's player welfare fund, with Indian players remaining unaffected by this cap.
Ravi Bishnoi returns to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 7.2 crore, describing it as a homecoming. The leg-spinner, a native of Jodhpur, began his career as a net bowler with the franchise. His signing adds valuable experience and quality to the Royals' bowling attack, with a strong track record in domestic and IPL cricket.
A new IPL rule caps overseas player salaries at INR 18 crore, regardless of auction bids, to enforce financial discipline and prevent inflation. While franchises pay the full bid amount, the excess goes to the BCCI's player welfare fund, with Indian players remaining unaffected by this cap.
