Sports Desk, New Delhi. Cricket fans are going to keep an eye on the mini auction of players for IPL 2026. This time there are names of many stalwarts in the auction and it will be interesting to see on whom the franchises will bet.
Let us tell you that the mini auction of players for IPL 2026 will be organized in Abu Dhabi on 16 December 2025. This time 359 players have registered to fill 77 places. The interesting thing is that many veteran players will be seen in the auction during this period, but among them there are 5 such on whom the franchise will probably avoid spending money.
Let us know who are the 5 players on whom the franchise would not want to spend a single penny, that is, they can remain unsold.
The base price of Australian star player Steve Smith in the IPL 2026 auction is Rs 2 crore. The former captain of Rajasthan Royals last participated in IPL 2021. Then he represented Delhi Capitals. Smith has been active in the T20 format, but has not been able to impress buyers in the IPL for four years. In such a situation, it is considered certain that he will remain unsold this year also.
The base price of New Zealand opener Devon Conway is also Rs 2 crore. Last year, Chennai Super Kings bought Conway in the mega auction for more than Rs 6 crore. But the performance of the left-handed batsman was lackluster. This year CSK released Conway. Due to poor form, Conway also lost his place in the national team. In such a situation, it is considered certain that he will remain unsold.
The base price of Australian wicketkeeper batsman Josh Inglis is Rs 2 crore. There are reports that Inglis will be available for only four matches in the upcoming season. For this reason no franchisee would want to waste their money. Then we may hear in the auction that Josh Inglis remains unsold.
The story of New Zealand's star batsman Darryl Mitchell is no different. Mitchell, who came in the auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore, is finding it difficult to find a buyer. Actually, Chennai Super Kings had included Mitchell in IPL 2024, but his performance was lackluster. This was the reason why he did not find any buyer in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Now it seems certain that he will remain unsold in IPL 2026 also.
The base price of West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder is also Rs 2 crore. The Caribbean all-rounder has previously represented several franchises in the IPL, but did not find a buyer in the mega auction last year. Anyway, Holder is not a regular member of the West Indies T20 team and his performance in T20 leagues at the global level has not been as good as expected. In such a situation, any franchise can avoid betting on this all-rounder.
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