IPL 2026 auction is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi, UAE on December 16.
The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) will see a mega auction, and all ten teams will have a chance to reshuffle their squad and bring in players according to their compatibility. All ten franchises announced their retention list, which saw a total of 173 retentions combined, including 49 overseas players.
These sides will enter the IPL 2026 auction in search of some good buys. The auction will be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16, and a combined INR 237.55 crore is available to spend. There are 77 available slots among these ten sides. An IPL auction has always given many surprises to fans.
This has also changed the lives of many cricketers overnight. There are some massive names which will feature at the auction, who can fetch big deals. Hence, we will talk about five such cricketers who are capable of earning big at the IPL 2026 auction.
Five stars who can earn over 15 crores at the IPL 2026 auction
1. Andre Russell
The 2014 and 2023 IPL winner Andre Russell parted ways with Kolkata Knight Riders. The franchise took the difficult decision to release him after he was part of the team since 2014. Russell even played crucial parts in the 2014 and 2023 wins for the team. Russell is an ideal T20 material, who adds match-winning skills to all three departments.
He has been used as a death bowler by KKR and done a good job. He has 123 IPL wickets to his name. With the bat, he is a beast with a strike rate of 174.17 with 2651 runs in his IPL career. Every team wants a pace-bowling all-rounder and someone who can finish off the games. Russell can do all of these things, and he certainly will be one of the players to get a big deal.
2. Cameron Green
Cameron Green made headlines when he was signed by Mumbai Indians in the 2023 auction at the price of INR 17.5 crore. He had a pretty good season for them. Later, he was traded to Royal Challenger Bengaluru for the same price. Green missed the IPL 2025 due to injury and is likely to be back for the IPL 2026 auction.
He has improved as a T20 batter and adds to his bowling as well. His recent T20I outings for Australia have been impressive. That will surely get noticed by the IPL franchise. He is a top-order batter and good bowler who can give a good balance to the side. Just like his first two editions, he is expected to go big once again.
3. Matheesha Pathirana
RCB won the last edition because their bowlers delivered consistent performances; that is why having good bowlers is a key to success. If we look at the list of released players, one name stands out, which is Matheesha Pathirana. The former CSK star spent four seasons with the team and did pretty well.
Teams like RR, LSG, and KKR need a death bowling option, and Pathirana can certainly fill that requirement. He bowls fast, and with his action, it becomes difficult to line him up. His experience of bowling in IPL matches will also be key, and he can certainly go big at the IPL 2026 auction.
4. Liam Livingstone
Liam Livingstone, a global T20 star who comes with match-winning ability in all three departments, has always been a hot property at the auction. He can bat in the middle order, and clearing boundaries is his forte. He can take down any bowling unit on his own. With the ball, he can bowl off-spin and leg-spin.
He is also an excellent fielder. All these make him a perfect player to feature in any team. His experience is playing across global T20 leagues, and he is one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball, who will feature in the IPL 2026 auction.
5. Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi is one of the promising spinners in the Indian cricket setup, who has had a great start to his IPL and international career. He was also ranked the no. 1 T20I bowler. Bishnoi had a poor last season for Lucknow Super Giants, and he only took 9 wickets at an economy rate of 10.18.
But he is a fairly experienced spinner and has 72 wickets at a decent economy rate of 8.21 in the IPL. He was priced at INR 11 crore for LSG, and a few teams are searching for Indian spinners. That is where he can be a good buy for teams like CSK and SRH. Ravichandran Ashwin (retired) and Ravindra Jadeja (traded) will not available for CSK while SRH has been missing a quality spinner since Rashid Khan's exit in 2022.