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.

At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured after a mass shooting at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach during a Jewish celebration, in what authorities have described as the deadliest gun attack in Australia in almost 30 years.

Police on Monday confirmed that the two attackers were a father and his son. The older man, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram was injured and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The attack occurred during the “Chanukah by the Sea” event, held to mark the beginning of the eight-day Hanukkah festival. Around 1,000 people were attending the gathering in a small park near the beach when gunfire erupted, triggering panic among crowds enjoying a busy summer evening.

What happened at bondi beach

According to authorities, emergency services received the first calls about shots being fired around 6:45 pm. Witnesses said the attack lasted roughly 10 minutes, with people running across the sand and into nearby streets to escape the gunfire.

Videos from the scene showed two men firing long guns from a footbridge leading to the beach. Police have not officially confirmed the exact weapons used, though footage suggested a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun.

In one widely shared clip, a bystander was seen tackling and disarming one of the gunmen. The man was later praised by state leadership as a “genuine hero.” A public fundraising effort launched for him had raised over A$200,000 by Monday morning.

Attackers and investigation

Police said one of the attackers was known to security agencies, though there was no prior indication of a planned assault. Authorities later confirmed they were confident only two people were involved.

The younger attacker is an Australian-born citizen. Officials said the father had arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, later transitioning to other residency permits. Investigators also searched the family’s home in Bonnyrigg, in western Sydney, where a heavy police presence remained through Monday.

Victims and community impact

Those killed ranged in age from 10 to 87 years. At least 42 others were hospitalised, several of them in critical condition. An Orthodox Jewish organisation confirmed that one of the victims was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an assistant rabbi and one of the organisers of the event.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and fear. A young lifesaver present at the beach said seeing injured people, including children, was deeply distressing and unlike anything he had experienced before.

Community leaders urged unity and calm in the aftermath, stressing the importance of supporting those affected rather than allowing anger to divide communities.

Leaders condemn attack

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Bondi Beach on Monday to pay tribute to the victims, calling the shooting a “dark moment for our nation.” He described the incident as an act of antisemitism and terrorism, assuring the Jewish community of the government’s full support.

Several world leaders, including the US President, the French President and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Australia.

Authorities said the shooting was the most serious antisemitic attack in the country in decades, coming amid a rise in incidents targeting Jewish institutions since late 2023. Investigations into the motive behind the attack are ongoing.