The gavel has fallen. The auction room in Abu Dhabi has emptied. And the IPL 2026 landscape has been utterly transformed. Headlining the drama? Cameron Green—the Australian all-rounder who didn’t just break the bank, he rewrote IPL history by fetching a record-shattering ₹25.20 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders .
That bid didn’t just eclipse Mitchell Starc’s previous high of ₹24.75 crore—it ignited a fierce, nerve-wracking battle between KKR and Chennai Super Kings that had fans on the edge of their seats. But Green’s mega-deal is just one chapter in a much larger story. The complete list of IPL Auction 2026 sold players and unsold stars tells a tale of strategic brilliance, heartbreaking omissions, and franchises betting big on the future.
Whether you’re a fantasy league manager, a die-hard fan, or just trying to understand who’s playing for whom, this is your definitive, deeply researched breakdown of everything that went down—and what it means for the 2026 season.
Table of Contents
- Cameron Green’s Record: Why KKR Outbid CSK
- IPL Auction 2026 Sold Players: Team-Wise Breakdown
- Biggest Shock: Unsold Players
- Auction Trends: What Franchises Valued Most
- Fantasy Cricket Gems to Watch
- Conclusion
- Sources
Cameron Green’s Record: Why KKR Outbid CSK
The Green auction wasn’t just high-stakes—it was personal. Reports from the venue describe a tense back-and-forth between KKR and CSK, with Chennai pushing hard to secure the all-rounder as a long-term successor to Ravindra Jadeja .
But KKR had a trump card: their pitch at Eden Gardens and a squad already stacked with power-hitters. Green’s ability to bat at No. 4 *and* deliver 4 overs of 140+ kph seam made him the perfect fit. In the end, KKR’s final bid of ₹25.20 crore silenced CSK—and the room.
Notably, due to the BCCI’s new rule, Green’s actual take-home remains capped at ₹18 crore, with the rest funding player welfare—but KKR still loses the full amount from their purse [[INTERNAL_LINK:cameron-green-actual-salary]].
IPL Auction 2026 Sold Players: Team-Wise Breakdown
Here are the key acquisitions from each franchise (full 25-player squads available on official IPL site):
Kolkata Knight Riders
- Cameron Green (₹25.20 Cr)
- Matheesha Pathirana (₹18 Cr)
- Jake Fraser-McGurk
Chennai Super Kings
- Noor Ahmad
- Jamie Overton
- Anshul Kamboj
Mumbai Indians
- Gerald Coetzee (₹8.5 Cr)
- Tom Hartley
- Raj Bawa
Rajasthan Royals
- Adam Zampa
- Spencer Johnson
- Priyansh Arya
Royal Challengers Bangalore
- Lockie Ferguson
- Tristan Stubbs
- Nuwan Thushka
Delhi Capitals
- Mitchell Marsh
- Quinton de Kock
- Ashutosh Sharma
Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Daryl Mitchell
- Josh Hazlewood
- Nitish Reddy
Punjab Kings
- Marco Jansen
- Matt Henry
- Siddharth Yadav
Lucknow Super Giants
- Gus Atkinson
- Tom Latham
- Yudhvir Singh
Gujarat Titans
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Phil Salt
- Kaushal Tambe
Biggest Shock: Unsold Players
Even big names missed out. The most surprising unsold players include:
- Glenn Maxwell: After inconsistent 2025, no team met his base price.
- Shakib Al Hasan: Despite all-round pedigree, age and availability concerns deterred bids.
- David Willey: Overshadowed by younger, faster pacers.
- Shivam Dube (initially): Later bought by CSK for ₹6.5 crore after going unsold in early rounds.
These omissions highlight a clear trend: franchises now prioritize fit over fame.
Auction Trends: What Franchises Valued Most
Three patterns dominated the 2026 auction:
- Death Bowlers = Gold: Pathirana, Coetzee, Hazlewood—all premium buys.
- Uncapped Indian Power: Ashutosh Sharma, Priyansh Arya, Siddharth Yadav fetched big sums.
- All-Rounders Over Pure Batters: Green, Stubbs, Nitish Reddy prioritized for role flexibility.
According to ESPNcricinfo, 68% of uncapped Indian players sold were either finishers or seam-bowling all-rounders—proof of a tactical shift .
Fantasy Cricket Gems to Watch
Keep an eye on these high-value, low-ownership picks:
- Ashutosh Sharma (DC): 65 sixes in 2024–25 domestic T20s.
- Matheesha Pathirana (KKR): Death overs wicket machine.
- Nitish Reddy (SRH): Can bat, bowl medium pace, and field brilliantly.
- Gerald Coetzee (MI): Expected to partner Bumrah in powerplay and death.
Conclusion
The IPL Auction 2026 sold players list isn’t just a roster—it’s a blueprint for how franchises plan to dominate the T20 future. From Cameron Green’s record-setting move to the quiet rise of uncapped Indian stars, this auction signaled a new era of strategic, role-based buying over blind star-chasing. As teams finalize their squads, one thing is clear: the 2026 season will be the most tactically fascinating IPL yet.