The IPL mini-auction delivered a major twist for three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders, who were unable to bring back Venkatesh Iyer. The left-handed batter was snapped up by defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 7 crore. Iyer had earlier been bought by KKR for INR 23.75 crore before the 2025 season. His poor form in the last IPL played a big role in KKR letting him go before the retention deadline.

Even so, KKR did not give up easily at the auction table. The franchise kept increasing the bid and went as high as INR 6.8 crore. When the amount touched INR 7 crore, KKR decided not to continue. That final call allowed RCB to secure the player and brought an end to Iyer’s long spell with KKR.

KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar later spoke about the situation and confirmed that the team wanted Iyer back. He explained that the management felt other teams were holding money for different players. Because of that, KKR believed they might be able to re-sign him at a lower price.

Cameron Green Pick Explains KKR’s Auction Strategy

Speaking to JioHotstar, Nayar said, “Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for us from the start. We tried to get him back. We felt other teams were saving money for different players, so we thought we could get him at a lower price.” He also pointed out that Iyer suited KKR’s setup well. According to him, the all-rounder gave the team valuable balance and flexibility. He further added, “He is experienced and fits our setup, giving us flexibility. We tried, but RCB always seems to go after our players. This year, they got him. Venkatesh has been phenomenal for us over the years, and I wish him all the best in his new IPL journey.” The coach’s words showed respect and appreciation for Iyer’s contribution. He made it clear there was no bitterness over the outcome.

See Also: IND-W vs SL-W 1st T20I: Head-to-head, pitch report and predicted playing XIs

While missing out on Iyer, KKR made headlines by signing Cameron Green for INR 25.20 crore. This deal made Green the most expensive player in IPL history, going past Mitchell Starc. Explaining the move, Nayar said, “I can’t say how high we were willing to go for him, but we wanted to go all out. If we have the money, we spend it. There was no point in saving the money.” He added, “The idea was to do whatever we could to get Green because he is a very important player for us. With Andre Russell gone, we need someone to take the franchise forward. So, we decided we must have Cameron Green.” Along with Green, KKR also added Matheesha Pathirana, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, and Rachin Ravindra to strengthen their squad.

Talking about IPL 2026, KKR is going to be led by Ajinkya Rahane. After being eliminated from the playoffs in the previous season, the team hopes that their aggressive strategy in the auction really makes a difference in their favor. With a refreshed squad and new leadership options, KKR will aim to return to the top when the tournament begins on March 26.

Gujarat Titans (GT), the IPL 2022 champions, had a quiet outing at the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The franchise made only five purchases and did not make many big changes to their squad. The most expensive buy for GT was West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder, whom they signed for ₹7 crore. England batter Tom Banton was their second-costliest pick at ₹2 crore.

GT also added a few budget players to improve squad depth. Indian fast bowler Ashok Sharma was bought for ₹90 lakh, while England pacer Luke Wood joined the team for ₹75 lakh. Young Indian player Prithviraj Yarra was purchased for INR 30 lakhs. In total, GT made minute but calculated moves.

During the last season, Gujarat Titans had a positive run and then lost momentum at the end. They lost the last league games and were beaten out by the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. Ahead of the auction, GT released several players, including Mahipal Lomror, Karim Janat, Gerald Coetzee, Dasun Shanaka, and Kulwant Khejroliya. Sherfane Rutherford was also traded to Mumbai Indians. Despite these changes, GT kept their main core intact.

Gujarat Titans entered the mini-auction with a purse of ₹12.90 crore. The team once again showed faith in their core players like captain Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, and Mohammed Siraj. Last season, GT depended heavily on their top order of Jos Buttler, Sudharsan, and Gill. However, their middle order struggled at times, which they will look to improve in IPL 2026.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Rajasthan Royals

Gujarat Titans Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Jason Holder (₹7 crore), Tom Banton (₹2 crore), Ashok Sharma (₹90 lakh), Luke Wood (₹75 lakh), Prithviraj Yarra (₹30 lakh).

Gujarat Titans Full Squad for IPL 2026

Shubman Gill (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Jason Holder, Tom Banton, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Prithviraj Yarra.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) made a big move at the IPL 2026 mini-auction by signing Indian leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. RR bought Ravi Bishnoi for ₹7.2 crore, even though his base price was ₹2 crore. The franchise stayed out of the Cameron Green bidding war and instead used a large part of their budget to secure Bishnoi, who could become a key bowler for the team.

RR entered the mini-auction with a purse of ₹16.05 crore and spent almost half of it on Bishnoi alone. Along with him, the Royals added a few low-cost Indian players to increase squad depth. Former Mumbai Indians player Vignesh Puthur and young talent Yash Raj Punja were both signed for ₹30 lakh each.

After joining Rajasthan Royals, Ravi Bishnoi shared his feelings and said, “Playing for Rajasthan Royals will feel like playing at home. I started my cricket journey as a net bowler at RR, and now representing a team that carries the name of my state means a lot to me.” RR’s lead owner, Manoj Badale, also praised Bishnoi, calling his return a special moment for the franchise and its fans.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Chennai Super Kings

Rajasthan Royals Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Ravi Bishnoi (₹7.2 crore), Sushant Mishra (₹90 lakh), Vignesh Puthur (₹30 lakh), Yash Raj Punja (₹30 lakh), Ravi Singh (₹95 lakh), Aman Rao Perala (₹30 lakh), Adam Milne (₹2.4 crore), Kuldeep Sen (₹75 lakh), Brijesh Sharma (₹30 lakh).

Rajasthan Royals Full Squad for IPL 2026

Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira (traded), Jofra Archer, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-Dre Pretorious, Nandre Burger, Ravindra Jadeja (traded), Riyan Parag, Sam Curran (traded), Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Charak, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Vignesh Puthur, Yash Raj Punja, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao Perala, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen, Brijesh Sharma.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made some big and bold moves at the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The franchise spent heavily on uncapped Indian all-rounder Prashant Veer, buying him for a massive ₹14.20 crore. CSK also paid the same amount for uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma. Both players had a base price of just ₹30 lakh and became the joint highest-paid uncapped players in IPL auction history.

Prashant Veer, an all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, impressed everyone with his performances in domestic cricket. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 112 runs in six innings at an average of over 37 and a strike rate above 170. He also took nine wickets in seven matches, showing his value as a complete all-rounder. Kartik Sharma, a wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan, has also shown strong form. He has scored 334 runs in 12 T20 matches at a strike rate of over 162, including two half-centuries.

CSK also added overseas experience by signing West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein for ₹2 crore at his base price, with no bidding war. Ahead of the auction, CSK made a major trade by sending Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Sanju Samson. Samson is expected to open the batting for CSK next season along with either Ruturaj Gaikwad or Ayush Mhatre.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Chennai Super Kings Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Akeal Hosein (₹2 crore), Prashant Veer (₹14.20 crore), Kartik Sharma (₹14.20 crore), Matthew Short (₹1.5 crore), Aman Khan (₹40 lakh), Rahul Chahar (₹5.20 crore), Matt Henry (₹2 crore), Sarfaraz Khan (₹75 lakh).

Chennai Super Kings Full Squad for IPL 2026

Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Ayush Mhatre, M.S. Dhoni, Sanju Samson (traded from RR), Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Rahul Chahar, Matt Henry, Sarfaraz Khan.

At the IPL 2026 mini auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured the Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for ₹7 crore. It was a tough bidding war, with teams like Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, and Gujarat Titans also showing interest. In the end, RCB stayed firm and successfully added Venkatesh to their squad.

Venkatesh Iyer will now play for the defending champions after being picked at the mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi. LSG and Gujarat Titans started the bidding before RCB and KKR entered the race. KKR pulled out after bidding ₹6.80 crore, allowing RCB to seal the deal. Venkatesh will reunite with his Madhya Pradesh teammate and RCB captain Rajat Patidar, adding strength to the batting and all-round department.

RCB are coming into IPL 2026 with high confidence after winning their first-ever IPL title earlier this year. They defeated the Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the auction, RCB retained most of their key players, including Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar. After signing Venkatesh Iyer, RCB head coach Andy Flower said, "It’s two years running we’ve battled KKR for Venky—we both rate him highly, so it’s great to have him on board. We met him, chatted, and loved his competitive spirit, smarts, and leadership qualities for the dressing room and field. Looking forward to working with him."

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Delhi Capitals

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Venkatesh Iyer (₹7 crore), Jacob Duffy (₹2 crore), Mangesh Yadav (₹5.2 crore), Satvik Deswal (₹30 lakh), Jordan Cox (₹75 lakh), Kanishk Chouhan (₹30 lakh), Vihaan Malhotra (₹30 lakh), Vicky Ostwal (₹30 lakh).

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Full Squad for IPL 2026

Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav, Satvik Deswal, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan, Vihaan Malhotra, Vicky Ostwal.

Delhi Capitals (DC) made some strong and bold moves at the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Their biggest signing was uncapped Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Dar, whom they bought for ₹8.40 crore. Auqib came into the auction with a base price of just ₹30 lakh, but a bidding war followed. Rajasthan Royals started the bidding, later Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad joined in, but DC stayed till the end and won the bid.

Along with young talent, DC also focused on adding experience to the team. They signed South African veteran David Miller for ₹2 crore and England wicketkeeper-batter Ben Duckett for ₹2 crore. Miller is a very experienced IPL player. He has scored 3,077 runs in 141 IPL matches while playing for Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans, and Lucknow Super Giants. He has one century and 13 half-centuries, with a strong strike rate of over 138.

Former India cricketer Anil Kumble praised Delhi Capitals for signing David Miller. Speaking on JioHotstar, he said, “Experience is something the Delhi Capitals clearly lacked. While the uncapped batters did perform well last season, Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam, in particular, played the finisher's role effectively. Adding someone with David Miller's experience and ability is a big plus.” He also added, “Pairing him with Tristan Stubbs, his South African teammate, strengthens the middle order significantly. At that price, it's an absolute steal for the Delhi Capitals. I thought Gujarat Titans might look to bring him back, but they seem likely to stick with Washington Sundar for that role. Overall, it's a genius move by Delhi Capitals to add experience, something they were missing last season.”

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Lucknow Super Giants

Delhi Capitals Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Auqib Dar (₹8.40 crore), Ben Duckett (₹2 crore), David Miller (₹2 crore), Pathum Nissanka (₹4 crore), Lungi Ngidi (₹2 crore), Kyle Jamieson (₹2 crore), Prithvi Shaw (₹75 lakh), Sahil Parakh (₹30 lakh).

Delhi Capitals Full Squad for IPL 2026

Nitish Rana (traded in from RR), Abishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mukesh Kumar, Auqib Dar, Ben Duckett, David Miller, Pathum Nissanka, Lungi Ngidi, Kyle Jamieson, Prithvi Shaw, Sahil Parakh.

Lucknow Super Giants were concentrating on strengthening their team at the mini-auction for the IPL 2026 season by adding more strenght to their bowling department. They also made some crucial signings in the mini-auction, which include Wanindu Hasaranga and Anrich Nortje, both purchased for ₹2 crores at the base price of the players. 

LSG’s biggest buy at the auction was Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, for whom the team spent ₹8.6 crore. Inglis adds power and flexibility to the batting order. The franchise also invested in young Indian talent by signing uncapped Madhya Pradesh batter Akshat Raghuvanshi for ₹2.2 crore. These moves show LSG’s plan to build a stronger and more balanced squad.

The last two years have been unsatisfactory for Lucknow Super Giants. In IPL 2025, LSG finished seventh with many changes in their lineup. Rishabh Pant replaced KL Rahul as their team captain, and Zaheer Khan joined as a team mentor. Prior to the IPL 2026 auction, many important players of LSG were released, including Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep, and David Miller. Along with this, Shardul Thakur was traded for a deal with Mumbai Indians, and Mohammad Shami and Arjun Tendulkar were also acquired by trade.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Lucknow Super Giants Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Josh Inglis (₹8.6 crore), Mukul Choudhary (₹2.6 crore), Akshat Raghuvanshi (₹2.2 crore), Anrich Nortje (₹2.2 crore), Wanindu Hasaranga (₹2 crore), Naman Tiwary (₹1 crore).

Lucknow Super Giants Full Squad for IPL 2026

Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, M Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, Josh Inglis, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, Naman Tiwary.

Sunrisers Hyderabad went into the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a purse of ₹ 25.5 crore, they had a clear-eyed vision of adding depth without altering their strong core. One of the key acquisitions for them at the auction was the signing of uncapped Indian all-rounder Shivang Kumar for ₹30 lakh. SRH mainly looked to beef up the squad with a mix of young Indian players while picking a few experienced overseas names.

After the retention window last month, SRH decided to back the same core that helped them perform well recently. The team continues to be led by captain Pat Cummins, whose leadership and fast bowling are very important for SRH. Top-order batters Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head also remain key players for the team.

The opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head has given good fast starts for SRH over the last few seasons. Both opening batsmen are an attacking type, giving early pressure to the opponent teams. With experienced Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan in the middle order, SRH seems to be ready for another successful season.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Kolkata Knight Riders

Sunrisers Hyderabad Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Shivang Kumar (₹30 lakh), Salil Arora (₹1.5 crore), Sakib Hussain (₹30 lakh), Onkar Tarmale (₹30 lakh), Amit Kumar (₹30 lakh), Praful Hinge (₹30 lakh), Krains Fuletra (₹30 lakh), Liam Livingstone (₹13 crore), Shivam Mavi (₹75 lakh), Jack Edwards (₹3 crore).

Sunrisers Hyderabad Full Squad for IPL 2026

Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari, Shivang Kumar, Salil Arora, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made big news at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi by spending heavily on Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. KKR bought Green for ₹25.20 crore, which made him the most expensive overseas player in IPL auction history. With this signing, KKR showed that they are serious about making a strong comeback after a poor season last year.

Cameron Green is 26 years old and is known for his power hitting and useful fast bowling. KKR management believed he was the missing player in their team. The franchise also strengthened their bowling by signing Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore, adding more speed and aggression to their attack.

KKR also made smart buys for adding depth to the team. They selected the New Zealand batsman Finn Allen for the price of ₹2 crores at the base price and invested ₹3 crores on the uncapped Indian batsman Tejasvi Singh. Before the IPL auction, KKR held onto the reliable set of players such as Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Punjab Kings

Kolkata Knight Riders Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Cameron Green (₹25.20 crore), Matheesha Pathirana (₹18 crore), Mustafizur Rahman (₹9.2 crore), Tejasvi Singh (₹3 crore), Finn Allen (₹2 crore), Rachin Ravindra (₹2 crore), Tim Seifert (₹1.5 crore), Akash Deep (₹1 crore), Rahul Tripathi (₹75 lakh), Kartik Tyagi (₹30 lakh), Prashant Solanki (₹30 lakh), Sarthak Ranjan (₹30 lakh), Daksh Kamra (₹30 lakh).

Kolkata Knight Riders Full Squad for IPL 2026

Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Rahul Tripathi, Tejasvi Singh, Akash Deep, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra.

Punjab Kings (PBKS), the runner-up of IPL 2025, entered into the IPL 2026 mini-auction with one of the smallest budgets among all teams. With ₹11.50 crore as the availability, which was the second lowest purse in the auction, PBKS was calm and did not get into early wars, waiting for the right pick at the right price.

The first purchase was made in the accelerated round, where Punjab Kings acquired young Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly for 3 crores. Connolly is a left-handed batter and also bowls slow left-arm spin. Kolkata Knight Riders showed interest and placed the opening bid at his base price, but PBKS pushed the price higher and successfully brought him into their squad.

Later on in the auctions, PBKS added more power to their fast bowlers by including the services of the Australian fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis in the reserve at the price of ₹4.40 crores. Adding more depth to the Indian talent pool, the franchise also picked Pravin Dubey and Vishal Nishad for ₹30 lakhs.

Punjab Kings Bought Players and Full Squad for IPL 2026

The Punjab Kings had an unforgettable season in the IPL 2025 under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. They made it to the final for the first time in 11 years but lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs. Even though the PBKS could not get their hands on the trophy, they played well throughout the season. Because of this, the team management decided to make very few changes before the IPL 2026 auction.

The biggest name released by Punjab Kings was Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who failed to perform consistently and also suffered an injury during the 2025 season. Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis was also released. Apart from these changes, PBKS retained most of their core players to maintain stability and team balance.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Mumbai Indians

Punjab Kings Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Cooper Connolly (₹3 crore), Ben Dwarshuis (₹4.40 crore), Pravin Dubey (₹30 lakh), Vishal Nishad (₹30 lakh)

Punjab Kings Full Squad for IPL 2026

Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyala Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad.