Just before the IPL 2026 auction, the BCCI made a major change late Monday night, reducing the final auction list to 350 players.
But the biggest surprise was the sudden return of South African star Quinton de Kock. His name was not included in the initial long list of 1,355 players, but was later added at the request of a franchise.
Quinton de Kock’s Strong Return, Base Price Also Reduced
South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock recently made a spectacular return to international cricket, scoring a brilliant century against India in the Visakhapatnam ODI.
Following this, speculation about Quinton de Kock return to the IPL has intensified.
Quinton de Kock base price in the IPL 2026 auction has been set at ₹1 crore, a full 50% reduction from the previous ₹2 crore. Last time, KKR released him after a poor season.
The BCCI clearly stated in its official email, “The auction will feature 350 players and will begin on Tuesday, December 16th at 1 PM UAE time (2:30 PM Indian time) at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.”
The auction will begin with capped players first, batsmen, then all-rounders, wicketkeeper-batsmen, fast bowlers, and spinners. After that, the uncapped players will be selected.
Big names, new talent list, and preparations for the Accelerated Round
Cameron Green, one of the most sought-after players in the first set of the IPL 2026 auction, has been placed in the BA1 lot.
This group includes strong names like Devon Conway, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sarfaraz Khan, Prithvi Shaw, and David Miller.
The BCCI alerted the franchises, stating, “Depending on the timing, the accelerated process is expected to begin after player No. 70.”
The document lists Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran at the 70th position.
All players from 71 to 350 will be bid in the accelerated round. Teams can then resubmit their unsold or unpresented players if they wish.
This time, several new foreign players have been added to the list, Arab Gul, Miles Hammond, Connor Eztherhuizen, George Linde, Traveen Mathew, Binura Fernando, Kusal Perera, and Dunith Wellalage.
Indian players include Vishnu Solanki, Sabir Khan, Jikku Bright, Yashraj Punja, Parikshit Valsangkar, Purav Agarwal, and several new domestic talents.
The IPL 2026 auction will take place on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and franchises have several exciting options to try new combinations.
