IPL 2026 Mini Auction: Top 5 Steal Deals in the Auction

The Indian Premier League's mini-auction for 2026, taking place at Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16, saw fans worldwide as they watched their favorite players go under the hammer, with their favorite franchises spending their purse on talent and experience players. That said, the dynamics of the auction make it quite an interesting thing, as the teams don't mindlessly spend on reputed players but do stick to their strategies, so that they can build a team around their retained core.

This season's auction was no different, as 77 players in total were bought collectively by the ten teams, spending an aggregated amount of INR 215.45 crore, which is massive. While Cameron Green (INR 25.20 crore) and Matheesha Pathirana (INR 18.00 crore) were the most expensive players to be sold, both went to KKR. However, there were some strong performers who were brought very cheaply, resulting in a steal deal for the teams.

5. Rachin Ravindra

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Rachin Ravindra All Rounder

Rachin Ravindra is a New Zealand cricketer, who is a left-handed batting all-rounder.

New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra was released by Chennai Super Kings after spending a couple of seasons with the franchise. Across 18 matches for CSK, Ravindra made 413 runs at the slightly underwhelming average of 24.29 and did not pick a single wicket, arguably one of the main reasons behind his release, and he entered the auction pool at a base price of INR 2.00 crore.

In the set of marquee players, in the opening round of the mini auction, no one showed interest in the BlackCaps cricketer; he was transferred to the accelerated round. There, though, it was the Kolkata Knight Riders, being the only side to raise the paddle. He went to them with a sweet deal at his base amount. With the ability to bat at dynamic positions and bowl some left-arm spin, he could be of great help to KKR.

4.Wanindu Hasaranga

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Wanindu Hasaranga All-rounder

Wanindu Hasaranga, an allrounder for Sunrisers Hyderabad, is known for his right-handed batting and right-arm leg break bowling.

A mystery spinner is a significant enough asset in modern-day T20 cricket, but Wanindu Hasaranga also offers a genuine pinch-hitting option lower down the order with his all-round skills. This should have been a natural crowd-puller at the auction, but the story panned out altogether differently.

Lucknow Super Giants became the only side to show interest in the Sri Lankan cricketer, who has both experience and skills on his side. In 37 IPL matches, Hasaranga has picked up 46 wickets at a brilliant economy of 8.41. His batting has never really been idealized at the IPL, but he does boast a strike-rate of 142.30 in his T20 career. He could well turn out to be the pick of the season for LSG.

3. Sarfaraz Khan

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Sarfaraz Khan Batsman

Sarfaraz Khan requires no introduction. He started his campaign in the IPL with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru back in 2015, then played for the Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings over the years, yet was out of the IPL cricket for the last couple of seasons. This time round, he kept his base price at just INR 75 lakh, which came as a surprise.

The cricketer had gone unsold in the opening round, but once the accelerated set had come, it was the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings who added him for the base amount. Sarfaraz has been going in terrific form in domestic cricket, scoring runs across formats for his home team, Mumbai. The right-hand batter, with international exposure behind his back, is expected to be key.

2. David Miller

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David Miller Batter

David Miller is a 36-year-old professional South African cricketer born on June 10, 1989, known as an aggressive, left-handed middle-order batsman and occasional wicket-keeper.

An attacking middle-order batter able to finish the innings and bat at various positions, David Miller has indeed been a busy man as far as playing in the Indian Premier League is concerned. The left-hander has also captained Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the past, one of the most notable overseas batsmen to have graced the marquee tournament, with stints for four teams in the past, and making 3077 runs off 141 games.’

At a base price of 2.00 crore, the bidding war did not even take off as the Delhi Capitals seemed the only side interested in the left-handed seasoned campaigner. At that price, the South Africa international can play a crucial role in the DC middle-order as they are still in the hunt for their maiden title-winning season in the tournament.

1. Quinton de Kock

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Quinton de Kock Wicketkeeper-Batter

Quinton de Kock, known as Quinny, is a South African cricketer who plays for the South Africa team and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

The other Proteas player to make the cut in the list is the wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock. Having played 115 IPL matches for six sides, de Kock found himself being the most successful with Mumbai Indians, for whom he has 1329 runs in just 43 games between 2019 and 2021. He was also a part of the two victorious campaigns for the Mumbai team, also forming a memorable opening partnership with ex-skipper Rohit Sharma.

The only name to go for the experienced veteran was Akash Ambani, the owner of the franchise, who also provides a solid overseas wicketkeeper and an opening batter to the side. MI wanted to recreate a combination that has fetched them consecutive title wins, and there is nothing like getting de Kock for as low as his base price. All MI fans will be taking a trip down the memory lane when Rohit and Quinton de Kock open once again in IPL 2026.

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by Dwijesh December 18, 2025