We are past the halfway mark in IPL 2026, with more than 40 matches played in the league stage. Here’s looking at how the most expensive overseas buys at the mini-auction have fared so far this campaign.
Most teams came into the IPL 2026 auction with their core intact, leaving only 31 overseas slots up for grabs, 24 of which were filled. Of the players who found a team at the mini-auction, 10 were signed for over INR 3 crore, all of which are part of this list. A few of the most expensive overseas signings haven’t had the chance to prove their worth, while some missed the tournament altogether due to various reasons.
How the most expensive overseas buys at IPL 2026 auction have fared so far
All amounts in INR
Cooper Connolly (3 crore - Punjab Kings)
Matches: 8 | 270 runs @ 45.00, SR 168.75, 2 fifties
Connolly has had a great first season in the IPL with PBKS, having played all the games so far. Batting at No.3 for them, he began with an unbeaten 72 against GT before backing it up with a 22-ball 36 against CSK in a 210-run chase. Connolly also slammed 87 off 46, featuring eight fours and seven sixes, against LSG to help Punjab post a mammoth 254. His most recent outing was against RR, where he hit 30 off 14.
Jack Edwards (3 crore - Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Ruled out due to injury
The only uncapped overseas player to be picked at the auction (he made his T20I debut for Australia after the event), Edwards was ruled out of the IPL 2026 season due to a foot injury. The seam-bowling all-rounder was replaced by England’s David Payne, who has so far played two matches and taken two wickets.
Pathum Nissanka (4 crore - Delhi Capitals)
Matches: 7 | 147 runs @ 21.00, SR 150
Nissanka has played all but one match for the Capitals this season, and while he has given a few good starts, he hasn’t been able to convert any of them into anything substantial, with a top score of 44. He was dropped for compatriot Dushmantha Chameera for DC’s most recent match against RCB. With Delhi having a plethora of top-order options, he would do well for himself to play an impactful knock when he gets his next opportunity.
Ben Dwarshuis (4.40 crore - Punjab Kings)
Yet to play
Ben Dwarshuis was signed as a backup pacer by PBKS and has yet to find a game in the ongoing season. Punjab are flying in the league stage with six wins in eight games; they are unlikely to force any changes unless there’s an injury. The left-arm seamer is competing with the likes of Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett and Lockie Ferguson for a spot in the XI.
Jason Holder (7 crore - Gujarat Titans)
Matches: 2 | 23 runs, SR 229.99 | 1 wicket @ 57.00, ER 7.27
Jason Holder was picked for GT’s last two encounters, coming in for an underperforming Glenn Phillips. Batting at No.5 in his first outing of the season against RCB, he slammed a 10-ball 23 and also dismissed Virat Kohli. His second match was against CSK, where he didn’t bat and returned 0-22 from his four overs.
Josh Inglis (8.60 crore - Lucknow Super Giants)
Yet to play
LSG splurged 8.60 crore on Inglis even when PBKS had released him because he was set to miss a major chunk of the IPL 2026 season due to his wedding. And that’s exactly what happened. He is only expected to join the franchise ahead of their encounter against Mumbai on May 4, which would be their ninth match of the season. They are currently at the bottom of the table with four points in eight games.
Mustafizur Rahman (9.20 crore - Kolkata Knight Riders)
Released from squad
KKR spent heavily on Mustafizur, hoping to pair him with Matheesha Pathirana to fix their bowling woes, but haven’t been able to field either of the two. Mustafizur fell prey to worsening India-Bangladesh geopolitical relations after the BCCI instructed the franchise to release him, which even led to Bangladesh’s ouster from the T20 World Cup after they refused to travel to India for the ICC event. KKR replaced Mustafizur with Blessing Muzarabani, who has so far taken four wickets in two games, all of which came against SRH.
Liam Livingstone (13 crore - Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Matches: 2 | 15 runs @ 7.50, SR 60
Livingstone only found a team in the second accelerated round of the auction, but turned out to be the third-most expensive overseas player. But he has played just two matches so far, replacing David Payne for the game against LSG, where he could score 14 off 20 and was subsequently dropped. Livingstone then came on as an impact player against CSK with just 16 balls left in the innings and scored one off five. With 15 runs in two matches, Livingstone has cost SRH just under one crore per run so far.
Matheesha Pathirana (18 crore - Kolkata Knight Riders)
Yet to play
Eight games into their league stage, KKR haven’t been able to field Pathirana after signing him for a hefty 18cr at the mini-auction. He was expected to miss the first few matches after picking up a calf injury at the T20 World Cup, but it was only on April 12 that he was granted the NOC by Sri Lanka Cricket to join KKR, who had already lost four on the trot by then. He joined the team a week later but has yet to make his debut for them.
Cameron Green (25.20 crore - Kolkata Knight Riders)
Matches: 8 | 196 runs @ 28.00, SR 153.12 | 2 wickets @ 48.50, ER 9.37
The most expensive overseas player ever in IPL history, Green felt the brunt of the price tag when he returned scores of 18, 2 and 4 from his first three appearances while not being able to bowl at all, with KKR going on a run of five consecutive defeats. But he seems to be moving in the right direction since being cleared to ball by the CA. He now has a season total of 196 runs and two wickets in eight matches. He’s still far from his best, though, and there is scope for improvement.
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