The player auction ahead of the 2026 IPL will take place on December 16; which domestic performers stand a good chance of commanding a hefty price?
Yash Dhull
In February 2022, Dhull led India to the U19 World Cup title, and scored twin centuries on his first-class debut shortly after the final. By then, the top-order batter had already earned an IPL contract with Delhi Capitals.
His steady rise was interrupted in 2024, when Dhull had to undergo surgery after doctors discovered a hole in his heart. He returned to action this year, averaging 87 and striking at 167 in the Delhi Premier League.
That form has carried over to this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Opening the batting, he made 261 runs in seven league stage games, at a strike rate of 145. His old team, Delhi, as well as KKR, will be on the lookout for openers, backup and starters. Still only 23, he could well be on their lists.
Manisankar Murasingh
Murasingh was not named in the initial auction list, but added later on Tuesday (December 9) evening. At 32 years old, he is no youngster, but the addition of his name suggests there is likely to be interest from at least one team.
The seam-bowling all-rounder is an undoubted great for Tripura, one of the historically weaker teams on the Indian domestic circuit. Batting primarily in the lower-middle order, his scores in this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy read: 56, 40, 42, 25*, 33, 12 and 69 with an overall strike rate of 172. He has chipped in with six wickets as well.
Beyond just this season though, Murasingh’s 80-match T20 career has yielded 65 wickets and nearly 1,300 runs, with an economy rate of 7.4 and batting strike rate of 143. If not a starter, Murasingh might be a solid backup option for an IPL team.
Auqib Nabi
The Jammu & Kashmir quick has lit Indian domestic cricket on fire since last season, mainly in red-ball cricket with 73 wickets in 13 Ranji Trophy matches. But Nabi’s short-format chops have come to the fore as well this year.
Read more: 68 wickets at 13.8: How India A selection works, and why Auqib Nabi hasn’t been picked yet
His 15 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy were the joint fourth-highest in the league stage, and his economy rate of 7.4 is impressive for someone bowling in the Powerplay and at the death in what has been a fast-scoring season.
His career batting strike rate of 107 wouldn’t tell you this, but he can hit the odd six as well. Against Madhya Pradesh in his most recent game, Nabi came in at 84-5 and hit 32 off 21, the highest score of the innings. He then took 3-19, the best figures in the match, to help J&K win by 13 runs.
Raj Limbani
Tied with Nabi on wickets this season (but nine years his junior), 20-year-old Limbani has continued to impress since representing India at the U19 World Cup in 2024. He was also the joint third-highest wicket-taker in this year’s state-level Baroda Premier League.
Limbani found no takers at last year’s auction, but could well find a home this year. Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals are likely to be on the lookout for backup domestic pacers, while Lucknow Super Giants might look to add to their veritable cartel of Indian quicks under the charge of highly-respected former India bowling coach Bharat Arun.
Ashok Sharma
Another young and promising fast bowler, 23-year-old Ashok currently leads the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy wicket-taking charts with 19 in seven games. The Rajasthan quick also made his first-class debut earlier this season, and has 14 wickets in four matches so far.
Ashok first earned an IPL contract with KKR in 2022, and was subsequently picked up by Rajasthan Royals at last year’s mega-auction at base price. Whether this season is enough to convince them to take him back remains to be seen, but Ashok will surely have garnered interest from elsewhere as well.
Who are the other uncapped players to look out for in the IPL 2026 auction?
Prashant Veer
A Shivam Dube-esque striker of the ball, 20-year-old Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Prashant Veer also bowls some handy left-arm spin. Veer struck at 155 in this year’s UPT20 league, and has a strike rate of 167 from nine Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches as well.
Tushar Raheja
Opener Raheja had a stellar TNPL in 2024, averaging 36 at a strike rate of 150 before upping those numbers to 61 and 186 in 2025. Also a wicketkeeper, KKR are likely to be interested in his services. After nine Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games, he averages just under 25, striking at 165.
Kartik Sharma
Another keeper, but a middle-order batter, Kartik was at RCB’s trials in the past week. Still only 19, the Rajasthan youngster averages north of 40 from eight first-class games, north of 50 in nine List A games and strikes at 163 in T20 cricket. If for nothing else but raw potential, expect several teams to be interested.
Naman Tiwari
Limbani’s U19 teammate and fast-bowling partner, left-arm quick Tiwari is yet to play for his state side, Uttar Pradesh. In this year’s UPT20, he took 19 wickets in 10 games, including three four-wicket hauls.
Yash Raj Punja
Born in the UAE, Punja’s journey to Indian cricket has not been entirely straightforward. A 6’5” leggie, he has been with Rajasthan Royals as a net bowler for two years, and was the second-highest wicket-taker in this year’s Maharaja Trophy. His name is in the auction list for the first time, and he does have the potential to be a point of difference for any franchise.
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