The IPL 2026 auction is over and all 10 teams have completed their squads for the new season. The auction was held in Abu Dhabi and it turned into a record-breaking event, especially for one player – Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought him for a massive ₹25.20 crore, making him the most expensive overseas player in IPL history.
Across all teams, franchises together used a budget of over ₹215 crore to sign 77 players, including many Indian youngsters and foreign stars. Some teams went big on a few players, while others focused on filling gaps with smart mid-range buys.
Most Expensive Players of IPL 2026 Auction
Cameron Green was the headline name, but many others also landed huge deals. KKR didn’t stop at Green; they also picked Matheesha Pathirana (₹18 crore) and Mustafizur Rahman (₹9.20 crore), building a strong pace attack.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spent big on Indian uncapped talents. They surprised everyone by buying Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer for ₹14.20 crore each, making them the joint costliest uncapped Indian players this auction.
Other top deals included:
- Liam Livingstone (SRH) – ₹13 crore
- Josh Inglis (LSG) – ₹8.60 crore
- Auqib Nabi Dar (DC) – ₹8.40 crore
- Ravi Bishnoi (RR) – ₹7.4 crore
- Venkatesh Iyer (RCB) – ₹7 crore
- Jason Holder (GT) – ₹7 crore
Team-wise Highlights in Simple Words
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
KKR went all-in this year. With the biggest purse, they built a star-heavy squad: Cameron Green, Pathirana, Mustafizur, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rahul Tripathi and more joined their retained core of Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, and others. Their strategy is clear – strong batting all-rounders plus a dangerous pace unit.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
CSK focused on balance and future stars. Along with Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, they added bowlers like Rahul Chahar and Akeal Hosein and overseas options like Matt Henry and Matthew Short. They still have a solid core and just refreshed the squad around it.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
MI entered the auction with the smallest purse (₹2.75 crore), but still managed some smart signings. They brought back Quinton de Kock (₹1 crore) and added young names like Mohammad Izhar, Danish Malewar, Atharva Ankolekar, and Mayank Rawat. Most of their strength still comes from their retained stars – Rohit, SKY, Hardik, Bumrah and others.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
SRH mixed youth with power. They signed several uncapped players like Salil Arora, Shivang Kumar and others, but their biggest splash was Liam Livingstone for ₹13 crore plus Jack Edwards for ₹3 crore, making their middle order very explosive.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
LSG added wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis (₹8.60 crore) and all-rounders like Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi and Wanindu Hasaranga (₹2 crore). They also picked Anrich Nortje to strengthen the pace attack.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
DC went for a mix of power hitting and solid experience – Auqib Nabi Dar (₹8.40 crore), Pathum Nissanka, Ben Duckett, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, and even brought back Prithvi Shaw at ₹75 lakh.
Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, RCB
These teams mostly topped up their squads with a few targeted buys – like Jason Holder for GT, Ravi Bishnoi for RR, Ben Dwarshuis for PBKS and Venkatesh Iyer for RCB – while keeping their main cores from previous seasons intact.
Almost every team now has multiple match‑winners, so fans can expect close matches, big scores and a lot of last‑over drama. The auction also showed a clear trend: teams are ready to pay huge money for genuine all‑rounders and aggressive top‑order batters, while picking smart domestic role players at lower prices.
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