IPL 2026 Auction: 350 Players Confirmed, De Kock Returns

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finalized the list for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, narrowing it down to 350 players after removing 1,005 names from the longlist. Interestingly, a few players, including South African wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock, were added to the auction list despite not being part of the original registrations. In total, 35 new names have joined the final roster after BCCI’s revisions.

Quinton de Kock Returns to IPL Spotlight

De Kock’s inclusion follows a request from one of the franchises. The South African wicket-keeper batter recently ended his international retirement and made headlines by scoring a century against India in the third ODI at Vizag. This stellar performance likely influenced his decision to participate in the IPL once again.

For IPL 2026, De Kock has set his base price at Rs 1 crore, a 50% reduction from his previous mega auction price of Rs 2 crore, when he was picked by the Knight Riders.

International Players Added to the Auction

Several overseas cricketers have been newly added to the IPL auction roster:

• Afghanistan: Arab Gul
• England: Miles Hammond, Dan Lategan
• South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Connor Eztherhuizen, George Linde, Bayanda Majola
• Sri Lanka: Traveen Mathew, Binura Fernando, Kusal Perera, Dunith Wellalage
• West Indies: Akeem Auguste

These players, some of whom are appearing in the IPL auction for the first time, bring fresh talent and international experience to the tournament.

Domestic Talent Joins the Roster

Among Indian players, several new names have been added to the auction list, including:

• Sadek Hussain, Vishnu Solanki, Parikshit Valsangkar, Izaz Sawariya, Sabir Khan, Brijesh Sharma, Kanishk Chouhan, Aaron George, Jikku Bright, Srihari Nair, Madhav Bajaj, Shreevathsa Acharya, Yashraj Punja, Sahil Parakh, Roshan Waghsare, Yash Dicholkar, Ayaz Khan, Dhurmil Matkar, Naman Pushpak, Purav Agarwal, Rishabh Chouhan, Sagar Solanki, Aman Shekawat.

These additions aim to enhance the depth and competitiveness of the IPL 2026 auction pool.

Auction Schedule and Format

The IPL 2026 auction is scheduled to start at 1 pm UAE time (2:30 pm IST) on Tuesday, 16 December, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. According to BCCI:

• The bidding process will begin with capped players in the following order: batters, all-rounders, wicket-keeper/batters, fast bowlers, and spin bowlers.
• The same order will be followed for uncapped players.
• An accelerated auction will cover players ranked 71-350. Franchises can then submit names of unpresented or unsold players from the full list of 350 for further accelerated rounds.

This structured approach ensures a smooth and strategic bidding process for franchises.

Final Thoughts

With a mix of experienced international stars and emerging domestic talent, the IPL 2026 auction promises to be competitive and exciting. Players like Quinton de Kock and several first-time entrants could become key game-changers for their respective franchises.

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Sorit Chaudhary

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