IPL 2026: BCCI adds 19 players to auction list hours before bidding

Published - 16 Dec 2025, 14:26 IST | Updated - 16 Dec 2025, 14:28 IST

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly added 19 new players to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction register on Monday, less than 24 hours before the bidding begins at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This late inclusion has taken the total number of players in the auction pool to 369.

According to Cricbuzz, the last-minute expansion has been described by both franchise and BCCI officials as unprecedented, given its proximity to the auction. One franchise official was quoted as saying that such a large number of late additions had never been seen so close to an IPL auction.

The most prominent name among the new entrants is Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has been listed at a base price of ₹30 lakh. A consistent performer in domestic cricket and a long-time contender for national selection, Easwaran has been placed at No. 360 in the auction spreadsheet.

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Several overseas players have also been added to the register. South African wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne, a regular across formats for his national side, has entered the auction with a base price of ₹1.25 crore. Fellow South African all-rounder Ethan Bosch has been listed at ₹75 lakh.

Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani, known for his height and pace, has been included at a base price of ₹75 lakh, while New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears is among the costliest late entrants, set at ₹1.50 crore. Australian all-rounder Chris Green, a familiar figure in T20 leagues worldwide, has been added at ₹75 lakh. Malaysia international Virandeep Singh has been listed at ₹30 lakh.

The domestic contingent among the late additions includes Manisankar Murasingh of Tripura, Swastik Chikara of Uttar Pradesh, Chama Milind of Hyderabad, K.L. Shrijith of Karnataka, Rahul Raj Namala of Chhattisgarh, Virat Singh of Jharkhand, Tripuresh Singh of Madhya Pradesh, Rajesh Mohanty and Swastik Samal of Odisha, Saransh Jain of Madhya Pradesh, Sooraj Sangaraju of Andhra, and Tanmay Agarwal of Hyderabad—all listed at a base price of ₹30 lakh each.

Notably, nine of these players, including Murasingh, Chikara, and Bosch, had been briefly added to the auction pool earlier before being withdrawn. They have now been reinstated following requests from franchises.

With the auction register expanded to 369 players, franchises will be able to bid for a maximum of 77 cricketers, a number that applies only if all teams fill their 25-player squad limit.

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Manisankar Murasingh (₹30 lakh), Swastik Chikara (₹30 lakh), Ethan Bosch (₹75 lakh), Virandeep Singh (₹30 lakh), Chama Milind (₹30 lakh), K.L. Shrijith (₹30 lakh), Rahul Raj Namala (₹30 lakh), Chris Green (₹75 lakh), Virat Singh (₹30 lakh), Abhimanyu Easwaran (₹30 lakh), Tripuresh Singh (₹30 lakh), Kyle Verreynne (₹1.25 crore), Blessing Muzarabani (₹75 lakh), Ben Sears (₹1.50 crore), Rajesh Mohanty (₹30 lakh), Swastik Samal (₹30 lakh), Saransh Jain (₹30 lakh), Sooraj Sangaraju (₹30 lakh), Tanmay Agarwal (₹30 lakh).