The IPL 2026 auction took place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. A total of 369 players have confirmed for the event. The ten franchises spent ₹215.45 crore to recruit 77 cricketers during the mini-auction.
Cameron Green, an Australian all-rounder, emerged as the most expensive purchase. He was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore, becoming him the most expensive overseas player in auction history.
Not only did global stars make a lot of money, but teams also made significant investments in uncapped Indian players. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) acquired Uttar Pradesh’s spin-bowling all-rounder Prashant Veer and Rajasthan’s keeper-batter Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 crore apiece.
Notably, numerous well-known names received no bids. Here, we look at the top five players who were shockingly unsold in the IPL 2026 auction.
1. Jonny Bairstow
The other solid player from abroad who has done it in IPL is England keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow. He has played for SunRisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians since making his debut in 2019.
Despite that excellent resume of form and pedigree, Bairstow found no takers at the IPL 2025 mega auction and was only added to MI squad halfway through the season on a short-term deal. First, he came in and had an instant impact, hitting 85 runs from just two matches at a stunning strike rate of 184.78.
But despite everyone being reminded about his T20 pedigree, Bairstow went unsold at the IPL 2026 auction (where he had set a base price of ₹1 crore). The 34-year-old has had a decent run in the ongoing International League T20 as well, mustering 136 runs in five innings for MI Emirates at a strike rate of 129.52.
2. Jamie Smith
The other England wicketkeeper-batter who shockingly found no takers was Jamie Smith. He has not made his IPL debut yet, but Smith looks an exciting prospect at the global stage.
The 19-year-old right-arm bowler has a T20I career strike rate of 194.02 – with 130 runs in five T20I innings under his belt. But despite being on the auctions list at a base price of ₹2 crore, he went unsold.
When considered together with his (overall) T20 career, it suggests Smith has scored 1,687 runs in 82 innings in the format at an excellent average of 144.31 – hinting to what could amount to a value line for him in the shortest form.
3. Deepak Hooda
India all-rounder Deepak Hooda too had a forgettable auction as he remained unsold after setting his base price at ₹75 lakh. The experienced player has played 125 IPL games across franchises like Rajasthan Royals, SunRisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings.
Hooda had a tough IPL 2025 with CSK, scoring just 31 runs in five innings. But the signs this season have been much more encouraging domestically. He is also in top form at the moment during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he has played some crucial knocks of 76, 90 and 43.
Interestingly, Hooda smashed a delightful half-century (51 off 31 balls) in the domestic T20 competition for Mumbai on the day of IPL 2026 auction.
4. Jake Fraser-McGurk
Australian opener Jake Fraser-McGurk lit up the IPL in 2024 with his aggressive batting, striking a game changing 330 off just nine innings at an impressive strike rate of 234.04.
He was repurchased by Delhi Capitals for ₹9 crore on right to match at the IPL 2025 mega auction, but had to endure a poor tournament from the youngster. He scored only 55 runs in six innings at an average of 105.76 in IPL 2025.
Fraser-McGurk went unsold at the IPL 2019 auction but after amassing over 800 runs in the three-day format of last year’s U-19 National Championships, he has definitely turned heads.
5. Akash Madhwal
Indian fast bowler Akash Madhwal was also surprisingly overlooked by the IPL 2026 auction. The 32-year-old right-arm pacer had made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2023 and impressed immediately as he picked up 14 wickets in just eight games.
He wrote his name into the IPL history books with a spell on 3.3–0–5–5 against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator — the best bowling figures in an IPL playoff. Madhwal picked up another 5 wickets the next season.
Sold to Rajasthan Royals for ₹1.20 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, he played just four matches and picked up four wickets at an economy of 11.06. However, despite being listed with a starting price of ₹30 lakh, he was not bought by any team at the auction in 2026.
