Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman and veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will be the key attractions among overseas players in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. Mustafizur, known for his bowling skills in the final overs, has set his base price at Rs 2 crore, while Shakib, a seasoned IPL player with 71 matches over nine seasons, has set his reserve price at Rs 1 crore.
The IPL recently unveiled a list of 1,355 players after the registration deadline closed on November 30. Among them, 45 players, including Mustafizur, Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone, Ravi Bishnoi, Venkatesh Iyer, Matheesha Pathirana, and Wanindu Hasaranga, have set their base price at Rs 2 crore. With each franchise allowed a maximum squad size of 25, there are only 77 available slots at the auction, with 31 reserved for overseas players.
Franchises have until December 5 to submit their shortlists, following which the IPL will finalize the players eligible for the auction. The auction, scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi, is expected to see intense bidding as teams look to complete their squads.
Teams like Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 64.3 crore) and Chennai Super Kings (Rs 43.4 crore) have significant budgets and are likely to be active in the bidding process. KKR, in particular, may target Australian all-rounder Cameron Green to fill the gap left by Andre Russell’s departure. Green, who missed the previous mega-auction due to injury, brings versatility as a batsman, bowler, and fielder.
Several players released by franchises in 2025 have also placed themselves in the top reserve price bracket. Notable names include Matheesha Pathirana from Sri Lanka, Liam Livingstone from England, Venkatesh Iyer from India, and Ravi Bishnoi. Absent from the list are Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis due to injury and personal reasons, respectively.
Other overseas stars in the Rs 2 crore bracket include a long list of players such as Steve Smith, Tom Curran, Rachin Ravindra, and David Miller, among others.