The highly awaited IPL 2026 auction is being held in Abu Dhabi on December 16, 2025. As many as 369 players are up for grabs for 77 open spots as all ten organizations attempt to finalize their rosters before the league's 19th season.
The capped all-rounders set saw Venkatesh Iyer finding a new home in the IPL 2026 auction. When his name came up, Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans started the bidding war, which was later joined by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Iyer’s former franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), entered the fray with Iyer’s bid at INR 3.40 Cr and hiked the bid to INR 6.80 Cr.
In the end, RCB made the final bid of INR 7 crores, and KKR didn’t counter it. Venkatesh Iyer was bought by RCB for INR 7 crores.
One of the most surprising incidents was Liam Livingstone, who played for RCB in IPL 2025, going unsold. There was no interest in the England batter and spinner from any of the franchises. Also, Rachin Ravindra, the New Zealand all-rounder, went unsold as well.
Quinton de Kock, who was a late addition to the IPL 2026 auction, was bought for his base price of INR 1 Cr by the Mumbai Indians.
Another player sold in the capped all-rounders set was Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, who was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for his base price of INR 2 crores. He will fill in for Ravi Bishnoi, who was released by the LSG franchise before the auction.
