Contents
The auction in brief
Each franchise completed its retention lists before the IPL 2026 mini-auction, held on 16 December 2025 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A total of 173 players were retained ahead of the event, including 49 overseas players, from a shortlist of 369 registered participants, and 77 players were ultimately sold in the auction.
Across all teams, a combined auction purse of ₹237.55 crore (~$25.7m) was available to spend on up to 77 slots. Franchises entered the auction with different remaining budgets based on their retained player deductions.
Some of the headline results from the auction included Cameron Green becoming the most expensive overseas player in IPL history, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore, and Matheesha Pathirana joining KKR for ₹18 crore. At the other end of the price spectrum, uncapped players Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma each fetched ₹14.20 crore, both bought by Chennai Super Kings.
For team-specific budget context, Kolkata Knight Riders entered the auction with the largest remaining purse (around ₹64.3 crore), followed by Chennai Super Kings with about ₹43.4 crore. In contrast, others had significantly less to spend.
Now, to the teams.
Deep-dive: The four to watch
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Key retentions: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickelton, Hardik Pandya (c), Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks, Corbin Bosch, Raj Angad Bawa, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Allah Ghazanfar, Robin Minz
Auction additions: Quinton de Kock (₹1 cr), Mayank Rawat (₹30 lakh), Danish Malewar (₹30 lakh), Atharva Ankolekar (₹30 lakh), all purchased at auction alongside De Kock
MI entered the mini-auction with a very small remaining purse (about ₹2.75 cr) after retaining and trading players, and filled out the squad with primarily budget buys.
Their retention strategy ensured a core of experienced and match-proven players across batting and bowling. Rohit and Suryakumar anchor the batting, supported by a blend of power hitters and all-rounders. The addition of Quinton de Kock at a low cost provides depth at the top. In bowling, Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult form a threatening new-ball pair, with Santner and Will Jacks handling spin. Depth beyond the core six in batting remains limited due to purse constraints.
Fantasy angle: Bumrah’s strike and economy make him an elite pick. Suryakumar and de Kock are high-impact batters worth roster spots, and Boult offers consistent early-innings wickets.
Gujarat Titans (GT)
Key retentions: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Glenn Phillips, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Nishant Sindhu
Auction additions: Jason Holder (₹7 cr), Tom Banton (₹2 cr), Ashok Sharma (₹90 lakh), Luke Wood (₹75 lakh), Prithvi Raj (₹30 lakh)
GT retained a large core of 20 players and made a handful of targeted buys at auction, adding balance through all-round options and depth of pace. Jason Holder’s acquisition strengthens their bowling depth and provides batting power late in innings, while Tom Banton gives heavy-hitting backup in the top order.
The batting is anchored by world-class openers Gill and Buttler, with Sudharsan adding reliability through the middle. Rashid remains a match-winning spin threat, and the bowling attack’s blend of pace and spin (Rabada, Siraj, Sundar) is strong in most conditions.
Fantasy angle: Rashid Khan is a cornerstone pick, with Gill and Sai Sudharsan offering big innings potential. Rabada provides power-play wickets, and Holder’s all-round role can yield value.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Key retentions/trades: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Kwena Maphaka, Tushar Deshpande, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ravindra Jadeja (trade in), Sam Curran (trade in), Donovan Ferreira (trade in).
Auction additions: Ravi Bishnoi (₹7.2 cr), Adam Milne (₹2.4 cr), Sushant Mishra (₹90 lakh), Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur and others in smaller bids
RR’s squad underwent a major restructure ahead of IPL 2026. A high-profile trade sent long-time captain Sanju Samson to CSK in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, reshaping both batting and bowling depth.
Jaiswal is an elite opener, and with Jadeja and Curran, RR now boasts multi-dimensional contributors capable with bat and ball. Their bowling has variety and pace, with Bishnoi adding a strong leg-spin option and Milne bringing raw pace.
Fantasy angle: Jaiswal is a top-tier batting pick. Jadeja’s dual contributions are valuable, and Bishnoi’s wicket-taking skill makes him a high-impact bowling pick. Parag and Curran offer useful mid-round value.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Key retentions: KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav
Auction additions: Auqib Nabi Dar (₹8.4 cr), Ben Duckett (₹2 cr), Pathum Nissanka (₹4 cr), David Miller (₹2 cr), Kyle Jamieson (₹2 cr), verified auction buys
DC built an intriguing squad that blends experience and raw talent. KL Rahul is a steady top-order anchor, and the additions of Ben Duckett and Pathum Nissanka give variety at the top. The middle order features Stubbs, David Miller and Ashutosh Sharma as finishers.
Their bowling has genuine threats across formats. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel form a high-quality spin duo. Mitchell Starc leads the pace attack when fit, complemented by Kyle Jamieson’s pace and bounce. Auqib Nabi Dar, a pricey uncapped buy, adds spin options with developmental upside.
Fantasy angle: Kuldeep Yadav is a premium bowling pick. Axar offers dependable dual-category returns, and Miller can be a late-order fantasy scorer if he finds form. Duckett and Nissanka are worth monitoring early.
The other six: where they stand
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Squad highlights: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson (trade from RR), Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Matthew Short, Sarfaraz Khan, Rahul Chahar, Zak Foulkes, Aman Khan.
CSK strengthened their core by trading for Sanju Samson before the retention deadline. They retained a solid core around Dhoni and Gaikwad and used the auction to add impact players. Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma were the headline uncapped buys, both fetching ₹14.20 crore each, a joint record for uncapped players at the IPL auction. They also picked up experienced spinners and pace options like Akeal Hosein and Matt Henry, as well as dynamic batting depth in Matthew Short and Sarfaraz Khan.
Fantasy watch: Samson’s aggressive game makes him a high-variance pick. Veer and Sharma can deliver big fantasy returns if they break through. Bowlers like Hosein and Chahar offer wicket value.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Squad highlights: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, Finn Allen, Mustafizur Rahman, Tim Seifert.
KKR went into the auction with the largest remaining purse and opted to rebuild aggressively. They retained 12 players, including Rahane, Narine and Rinku Singh. Then they spent big on marquee buys, including Cameron Green (₹25.20 crore) and Matheesha Pathirana (₹18 crore), both of whom bolstered their batting and bowling. They also added overseas depth with players such as Finn Allen and Mustafizur Rahman.
Fantasy watch: Chakravarthy is a strong spin bowling pick, Narine provides dual value, and Rinku Singh offers a high-ceiling finisher role.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Squad highlights: Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Mayank Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mohammed Shami (traded from SRH), Arjun Tendulkar.
LSG entered the season with a largely retained squad and made a notable trade for Mohammed Shami to strengthen their pace attack. They retained a balanced core with Pant and Pooran offering explosive batting and Yadav, Shami and Marsh handling the seam attack. They also bought Josh Inglis at the auction for ₹8.60 crore, adding firepower at the top.
Fantasy watch: Pant is a premium bat pick for explosive scoring. Mayank Yadav and Shami provide wicket-taking potential in the bowling department.
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Squad highlights: Shreyas Iyer (c), Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marco Jansen, Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Harnoor Pannu, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Thakur.
PBKS retained one of the most settled cores, giving them stability. They did not make big marquee buys but focused on continuity with Iyer leading the batting and Arshdeep and Ferguson anchoring the pace attack, backed by Chahal’s spin. They also picked up Ben Dwarshuis at auction to add experience to their pace options.
Fantasy watch: Arshdeep Singh is consistent in picking up power-play wickets, Chahal is a spin threat, and Iyer provides dependable batting returns.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Squad highlights: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Phil Salt, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Bethell, Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav.
RCB retained a strong batting nucleus featuring Kohli and Salt at the top and added overseas swing and variation with picks such as Jacob Bethell and Venkatesh Iyer at auction. They also brought in Mangesh Yadav as a bowling all-round option. The majority of their core was retained from the previous season, enabling continuity.
Fantasy watch: Kohli is a high-floor run scorer, Salt is explosive at the top, and Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar offer seam bowling points.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Squad highlights: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Liam Livingstone, Jack Edwards
SRH retained their top core, including Cummins, Head and Sharma, and added star power at the auction with Liam Livingstone for ₹13 crore, a significant buy that bolsters both middle-order batting and bowling variations. They also added Edwards as a batting option.
Fantasy watch: Head and Abhishek Sharma are impactful picks at the top. Cummins offers dual runs and wickets, and Livingstone’s explosive ability gives high fantasy upside.
Using the Sportmonks Cricket API for squad analysis
Everything covered above is available as structured data through the Sportmonks Cricket API. Here’s how to pull it programmatically for any of the 10 IPL teams.
Get a team’s full IPL 2026 squad
The squad endpoint takes a team ID and a season ID and returns every player registered for that campaign, along with their batting style, bowling style, and role:
const fetch = require('node-fetch');
const API_TOKEN = 'YOUR_API_TOKEN';
const BASE_URL = 'https://cricket.sportmonks.com/api/v2.0';
async function getTeamSquad(teamId, seasonId) {
const url = `${BASE_URL}/teams/${teamId}/squad/${seasonId}?api_token=${API_TOKEN}`;
const res = await fetch(url);
const { data } = await res.json();
const squad = data.squad.map(player => ({
id: player.id,
name: player.fullname,
battingStyle: player.battingstyle,
bowlingStyle: player.bowlingstyle,
position: player.position?.name,
}));
console.log(`${data.name} — ${squad.length} players registered`);
return squad;
}
// Example: Mumbai Indians — replace with your confirmed team and season IDs
getTeamSquad(‘{MI_TEAM_ID}’, ‘{IPL_2026_SEASON_ID}’);
The response gives you each player’s battingstyle (e.g. right-hand-bat, left-hand-bat) and bowlingstyle (e.g. right-arm-fast, slow-left-arm-orthodox), which is useful for building fantasy picking tools that filter by role type.
Pull a player’s career profile
Once you have player IDs from the squad endpoint, you can pull individual profiles with career stats using the players endpoint:
async function getPlayerProfile(playerId) {
const url = [
`${BASE_URL}/players/${playerId}`,
`?api_token=${API_TOKEN}`,
`&include=career,position`,
].join('');
const res = await fetch(url);
const { data } = await res.json();
return {
name: data.fullname,
dateOfBirth: data.dateofbirth,
battingStyle: data.battingstyle,
bowlingStyle: data.bowlingstyle,
position: data.position?.data?.name,
career: data.career?.data ?? [],
};
}
The career include returns a breakdown of stats by season and format, useful for building the historical form comparisons that underpin any serious fantasy analysis tool.
Filter squad by role for fantasy team building
Combining the squad data with position filtering gives you a simple role-based squad viewer:
async function getSquadByRole(teamId, seasonId, role) {
const squad = await getTeamSquad(teamId, seasonId);
const roleMap = {
batters: ['Batsman'],
bowlers: ['Bowler'],
allRounders: ['All-rounder'],
keepers: ['Wicket Keeper'],
};
return squad.filter(p => roleMap[role]?.includes(p.position));
}
// Get all bowlers in the MI squad
getSquadByRole(‘{MI_TEAM_ID}’, ‘{IPL_2026_SEASON_ID}’, ‘bowlers’);
This pattern is the foundation of any fantasy analysis dashboard. Pull all 10 squads, normalise by position, and rank by career stats or recent form data pulled from the fixtures endpoint.
What to watch when the season starts
IPL 2026 begins on March 26. Here’s what to keep an eye on in the opening weeks that will shape the fantasy landscape for the rest of the tournament:
Injury updates in the first fortnight. Three or four players across the 10 squads, Jofra Archer, Mohammed Shami, and Mayank Yadav among them, are coming in with fitness question marks. Their first confirmed game appearances will move the needle significantly on their fantasy value.
The powerplay openers. Several new opening partnerships are untested: Duckett/KL Rahul at DC, Finn Allen at KKR alongside Rahane or Raghuvanshi, and Nissanka at DC. The first three or four games will tell you which openers are worth starting every week.
Uncapped players hitting their price. Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, and Auqib Nabi Dar all arrived with big price tags and no IPL track record. Watch their first five games closely. Players who justify their auction price early tend to hold their fantasy value throughout the season; those who don’t are often rotated.
The Sportmonks Cricket API covers every IPL 2026 fixture with live scores, ball-by-ball data, full batting and bowling scoreboards, and squad data. If you’re building a fantasy, a media platform, or an analytics tool around this season, the Cricket API documentation and IPL plan are the starting points.
Build your IPL 2026 fantasy platform with real data
Turn these team previews into a working product with the Sportmonks Cricket API. Get full IPL 2026 squads, player profiles, career stats, fixtures, live scores and ball by ball data in one structured feed. Whether you are building a fantasy app, media platform or analytics dashboard, you have everything you need to power it with reliable cricket data. Explore the IPL plan and start building today.
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