Two uncapped Indian cricketers rewrote IPL auction history on Tuesday as Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma attracted record-breaking bids at the IPL 2026 auction held in Abu Dhabi. Chennai Super Kings secured both players for Rs 14.2 crore each, making them the most expensive uncapped Indians ever signed in the league.

The previous benchmark for an uncapped Indian player stood at Rs 10 crore, a record set in 2022. That mark was comfortably surpassed as franchises went all out for young domestic talent during the auction.

Record-breaking bids for young domestic talent

Prashant Veer, a 20-year-old left-arm spin allrounder from Uttar Pradesh, entered the auction with a base price of Rs 30 lakh. His bidding quickly escalated following interest from multiple franchises before Chennai Super Kings closed the deal at Rs 14.2 crore. Veer has featured in nine domestic T20 matches and came into focus after strong performances in the UP T20 League, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Under-23 competitions, which also earned him trials with the franchise.

Kartik Sharma, a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan, matched Veer’s price later in the auction. Also listed at a base price of Rs 30 lakh, Kartik witnessed intense bidding before Chennai Super Kings once again emerged successful. Known for his power-hitting ability in the lower order, Kartik has scored 334 runs in 12 T20 matches at a strike rate of 164, including 28 sixes.

Other uncapped players draw big interest

The strong demand for uncapped Indians was not limited to Veer and Kartik. Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi was signed by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.4 crore after competition from several teams. Nabi, 29, has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and has taken 15 wickets in seven matches in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at an economy rate below eight.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru picked up 23-year-old pace allrounder Mangesh Yadav for Rs 5.2 crore. Yadav has limited T20 experience but impressed scouts during the Madhya Pradesh Premier League.

Several other uncapped players also crossed or touched the Rs 1 crore mark, underlining the growing focus on domestic depth at the IPL auctions.

Focus on building a strong local core

Speaking after the auction, the Chennai Super Kings camp highlighted the emphasis on identifying skill-specific players and investing in long-term potential. The franchise pointed to extensive scouting across domestic tournaments and the need to adapt team strategies based on the evolving nature of the game.

The IPL 2026 auction marked a significant moment for uncapped Indian players, with franchises showing willingness to invest heavily in emerging talent alongside established names.

The IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi delivered a record moment early, with Australia all-rounder Cameron Green becoming the most expensive overseas signing in IPL history after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured him for Rs 25.20 crore. The intense bidding battle saw KKR outlast Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to land Green, who also set what was described as a world-record fee for an overseas player across franchise competitions.

With the first three sets completed — capped batters, capped all-rounders and capped wicketkeeper-batters — Green and India’s Venkatesh Iyer emerged as the biggest buys so far. Iyer was picked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for Rs 7 crore after a bidding contest that included KKR.

Green tops Starc’s previous mark as KKR win the biggest battle

Green’s price surged rapidly as multiple franchises entered the contest, before it turned into a head-to-head between KKR and CSK. The final figure of Rs 25.20 crore pushed him past Mitchell Starc’s earlier record of Rs 24.75 crore (set at the IPL 2024 auction), making Green the highest-selling foreign player in IPL auction history.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore later said the franchise was pleased with the outcome and indicated they would have stepped away if the price climbed further.

Big names go unsold in early rounds

The opening phase also threw up surprises, with several prominent names failing to attract bids in the first three sets. India batters Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan went unsold in the capped batters set. England power-hitter Liam Livingstone also went unsold among capped all-rounders, despite expectations of strong interest.

In the wicketkeeper-batters set, multiple well-known players did not find buyers, while Quinton de Kock was snapped up by Mumbai Indians (MI) for Rs 1 crore. Ben Duckett joined Delhi Capitals (DC) for Rs 2 crore, and Finn Allen was bought by KKR for Rs 2 crore.

A total of 369 players are set to go under the hammer at the auction.

Ticket sales for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have been announced, with the first phase opening on December 11. The tournament will be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka, beginning February 7, and will feature 20 teams competing across 55 matches.

Affordable pricing in first phase

According to media, tickets in phase one will be available at highly accessible rates. Prices start from Rs100 at select venues in India, while tickets in Sri Lanka will be priced from LKR 1000. The ticket window opens at 6.45 pm IST and Sri Lanka time. Details for the second phase of ticket sales are expected to be announced at a later date.

Officials said the pricing strategy is aimed at ensuring wider access to the tournament for fans across different regions and income groups.

Tournament schedule and format

The 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup will follow the same format as the previous tournament. The 20 teams have been divided into four first-round groups, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the Super Eight stage.

Matches will be played in three time slots — morning, afternoon and evening — across venues in both host nations.

First-round groups

• Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
• Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
• Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
• Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE
  

Super Eight and knockout stage

The Super Eight stage will consist of two groups of four teams each, based on first-round qualification. Each team will face the other three sides in its group, with the top two progressing to the semi-finals.

The semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 and March 5, while the final will be played on March 8. Venue arrangements for the knockout matches include Indian cities and Colombo, depending on team qualification scenarios.