IPL 2026 auction to feature 359 players; De Kock returns
09 Dec 2025

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced major changes to the player list for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction.

The board has removed around 1,000 names from its initial longlist of 1,355 players.

This leaves a final pool of just 359 players who will go under the hammer at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena on December 16.

35 surprise inclusions in final IPL auction list
New additions

The final list of 359 players also features 35 surprise inclusions who were not part of the original spreadsheet circulated to teams.

Among these unexpected entries is South Africa's Quinton de Kock. The wicketkeeper-batter was added after a franchise put his name forward.

De Kock recently returned from international retirement and scored a century in Visakhapatnam, prompting renewed interest.

De Kock's base price set at ₹1 crore
Auction details

De Kock enters the auction with a base price of ₹1 crore, half of what he commanded at the previous mega sale. At that time, Kolkata Knight Riders secured him for ₹2 crore.

The auction will also feature other new overseas players such as Sri Lankans Traveen Mathew, Binura Fernando, Kusal Perera and Dunith Wellalage.

Domestic players added to IPL auction list
Local talent

The updated list for the IPL 2026 auction also includes a number of domestic players such as Vishnu Solanki, Parikshit Valsangkar, Sadek Hussain, Izaz Sawariya among others.

A number of new Indian players have been added who were not part of the initial submission.

The BCCI has confirmed that the bidding process will start with a full round of capped players in order of specialism - batters, all-rounders, wicket-keeper/batters, fast bowlers and spin bowlers.

IPL auction to feature 350 players
Auction format

The IPL auction will feature 350 players and will start at 1pm UAE time (2:30pm IST) on Tuesday, December 16.

The first accelerated round will cover all players from 71-350.

Once these players have been presented, franchises will be asked to name the players (unpresented and unsold) from all those on the full list of 350 for further accelerated presentation.