IPL 2026 Auction: Most Expensive Player List

The 2026 IPL auction held in Abu Dhabi was very exciting for the fans and franchises. It had record-like amounts of money bid as well as a lot of surprises with all 10 franchises making changes to their rosters. The IPL 2026 auction was different with many more players from outside India being signed and record-breaking amounts paid to Indian players who are considered “uncapped” (unrecognized/undrafted). Such a huge amount of money spent on these players attracted a lot of people’s attention and has been making sports news headlines today.

Cameron Green Makes IPL History

The most interesting story to come out of the IPL 2026 Auction was Cameron Green. He is an Australian all-rounder that was purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping ₹25.20 crore. This made him the most expensive foreign player in IPL History.

Under new IPL auction rules that were introduced during this year’s auction, Cameron Green’s salary has been capped at ₹18 crore. Any funds that exceed this amount will be directed to the BCCI welfare fund. These new rules were intended to promote revenue sharing within the IPL. While also allowing teams to take a chance and bid on an unknown foreign player who may turn out to be a great player.

Prior to this auction, Mitchell Starc had held the record for highest paid foreign player when KKR selected him for ₹24.75 crore prior to the IPL 2024 season.

New Night for Indian Players Without Caps

This auction has changed the landscape for many unrecognized Indian talent. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) came to the auction with the second-largest budget at ₹43.40 crore. They made bold moves by taking Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 crore each.

Both players now hold the record as the joint highest uncapped International players ever bought in IPL. This broke Avesh Khan’s previous record of ₹10 crores. It was when he was purchased by Lucknow Super Giants at IPL 2023.

The increasing amount of young Indian athletes being signed by teams this year is a trend. Teams are looking for long term prospects instead of just looking for stars who have produced success at the moment.

KKR’s Roster Construction

KKR entered the auction with the highest budget at ₹64.30 crore. It had only 12 players in their squad. At this point, KKR was the first team to fill out their entire roster of 25 players.

Along with Cameron Green, KKR also strengthened their bowling roster by taking Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore making KKR. This is one of the most talked about teams in the lead-up to IPL 2026.

Team Budgets and Squad Regulations

For IPL 2026 a total of ₹125 crore had been allocated to each Franchise in team budgets. The squads must consist of minimum of 18 players and maximum of 25 players. It can consist of up to 8 international players.

Out​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ of the total 369 cricketers, only 77 slots were filled in the auction. Both Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants could not utilize the maximum number of overseas player slots. Thus, they ended the auction with fewer international signings.

Just before the Auction, Mumbai Indians had only ₹2.75 crore left in their budget. Still, they played very smartly and added the right mix of experienced players to their squad. The purchase of wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock for ₹1 crore was highly praised as both a good pick and a strategic move for squad depth.

The financial side of the IPL keeps getting better and bigger every year. At the IPL 2025 Auction Rishabh Pant was the most expensive player in IPL history when he was signed to the Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore; hence, the aggressive bidding that occurred in 2026 can be taken as a direct consequence of this.

• Overall Highest-Priced Player – Cameron Green (₹25.20 crore)
• Highest-Priced International Player – Cameron Green (₹25.20 crore)
• Highest-Priced Indian Player – Prashant Veer/Kartik Sharma (₹14.20 crore)
• Highest-Priced Uncapped Player – Prashant Veer/Kartik Sharma (₹14.20 crore)

With the players gearing up for the matches, IPL 2026 Rosters are all set to promise a thrilling season of captains, fresh talent, and intense ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌rivalries!