“IPL 2026 Auction: 350 Players Confirmed, Quinton de Kock Returns in Surprise Entry”

IPL 2026 Auction: 350 Players Finalised, Quinton de Kock Makes Surprise Entry.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, December 9, announced the final list of 350 players for the IPL 2026 auction, scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Originally, 1,390 players had registered their interest, but after the shortlisting process, the pool has been trimmed to include 240 Indian and 110 overseas players, featuring 224 uncapped Indian and 14 uncapped overseas talents.

The ten franchises will compete for 77 available slots, including 31 reserved for overseas players, in what promises to be an intense bidding showdown.

The highest base price category remains at Rs 2 crore, with 40 players entering at this premium tier. Among Indians, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi have opted for this top bracket.

A total of 35 new names feature in the final list, with Quinton de Kock emerging as the surprise inclusion. The South African wicketkeeper-batter, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last season, was released after scoring 152 runs in eight innings, but is now ready to make a comeback.

Australian stars headline the overseas contingent, including Cameron Green, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, and Josh Inglis, who has confirmed his availability despite his wedding. Other notable international players include England’s Jamie Smith and Jonny Bairstow, New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway, and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana.

Among franchises, Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the mini-auction with the largest purse of Rs 64.30 crore, followed by Chennai Super Kings with Rs 43.40 crore. Big names like Cameron Green, Jamie Smith, Rachin Ravindra, and David Miller are expected to trigger high-octane bidding wars as teams look to strengthen their squads ahead of the 2026 season.

The auction will begin at 1:00 PM UAE time (2:30 PM IST) on December 16, promising another action-packed chapter of the T20 extravaganza.