Green Tops List as 45 Players Opt for Maximum Base Price Ahead of 2026 IPL Auction

Green Tops List as 45 Players Opt for Maximum Base Price Ahead of 2026 IPL Auction

Australia’s Cameron Green headlines a strong group of 45 players who have entered the 2026 IPL auction with the maximum reserve price of INR 2 crore. The long list—featuring 1,355 players in total—was circulated to franchises on Monday after the registration window closed on November 30.

With only 77 squad slots available across the ten franchises, including 31 for overseas players, the IPL will now prune the list based on franchise wishlists due by December 5. The auction is scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi.

Green in Focus as KKR, CSK Hold Big Purses

Green, who skipped the 2025 mega-auction due to a back injury, is expected to attract heavy bidding. Kolkata Knight Riders (₹64.3 crore remaining) and Chennai Super Kings (₹43.4 crore) — the two franchises with the largest purses — both have overseas slots available and are seen as strong contenders.

KKR, in particular, appear positioned to pursue Green after Andre Russell’s retirement from the IPL. Having released nine players, including high-value pick Venkatesh Iyer (₹23.5 crore), they now have 12 slots to fill.

Released Stars Return at Top Bracket

Several notable names released ahead of the auction have listed themselves at the highest base price, including:

  • Matheesha Pathirana, released by CSK despite being a key death bowler due to injury concerns

  • Liam Livingstone, let go by Royal Challengers Bengaluru after a modest season

  • Ravi Bishnoi and Venkatesh Iyer, both previously high-value Indian picks

Maxwell Missing; Inglis Availability at 25%

A notable omission from the longlist is Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. The 37-year-old, purchased by Punjab Kings last year for ₹4.2 crore, fractured his finger midway through the 2025 season and was replaced by Mitchell Owen.

Meanwhile, PBKS wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has re-entered the auction pool but will be available for only 25% of the 2026 season due to personal commitments — a detail communicated to teams on Monday.

Players in the INR 2 Crore Bracket

The top bracket includes prominent names such as:
Ravi Bishnoi, Venkatesh Iyer, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Steve Smith, Mustafizur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Liam Livingstone, Tymal Mills, Jamie Smith, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Gerald Coetzee, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese, Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph.

With several high-impact players back in the pool and major teams armed with hefty budgets, the 2026 IPL auction promises intense bidding battles and significant reshaping of franchise combinations.