IPL 2026: Cameron Green to CSK, Liam Livingstone joins KKR – Full list of sold and unsold players in Ravichandran Ashwin’s mock auction

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The official IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled for December 16, but the pre-auction frenzy has already begun, thanks to former Indian  cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ahead of the real-life bidding war, Ashwin conducted a high-stakes mock auction on his YouTube channel, titled “Winning Bid,” designed to replicate the drama and strategic decisions of the IPL room. This simulated event, featuring invited panels bidding as franchise representatives, immediately became the focus of the IPL chatter. It showcased the immense valuation of high-impact all-rounders and the critical need for quality Indian spinners, offering a clear, non-poetic preview of the dynamics likely to unfold in Abu Dhabi. With only 77 slots available for 359 shortlisted players, the mock auction demonstrated that competition for elite talent will be intense, setting the stage for major financial headlines.

The mock auction’s first major blockbuster was the Australian all-rounder, Cameron Green. Walking in with a base price of ₹2 crore, Green’s value rapidly escalated due to his rare profile as a middle-order batter, seam bowler, and strong fielder. The bidding quickly became a fierce contest, initially between Delhi and Lucknow, before the heavyweights, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), jumped in. The ultimate bidding war ended with CSK securing Green for a whopping ₹21 crore, making him the most expensive player of the mock auction. KKR pushed hard but strategically stepped away at this price, acknowledging that Green’s purchase forces a team to build the rest of its XI around his cost. This massive bid underscores the premium franchises are willing to pay for versatile, game-changing overseas all-rounders who offer unique balance to a squad structure.

🚨 ASHWIN’S MOCK AUCTION HIGHLIGHT 🚨

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▪️Liam Livingstone – 18.5 crore (KKR)▪️Venkatesh Iyer – 17.5 crore (KKR)▪️Prithvi Shaw – 5.25 crore (KKR)▪️Jonny Bairstow – 3.75 crore (KKR)▪️Cameron Green — 21 crore (CSK)#IPL2026 #CameronGreen

— 𝑅𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠ℎ. (@cricket12craze) December 14, 2025

Having exited the Green race, KKR executed a strategic “counterpunch” by redirecting their significant purse towards other high-impact all-rounders. KKR’s first major acquisition was England’s Liam Livingstone, whom they successfully landed for ₹18.5 crore after another intense tug-of-war. This move highlighted a deliberate choice: trading Green’s structural balance for Livingstone’s pure impact and “chaos value”, the ability to change a game instantly with boundary-hitting. KKR didn’t stop there, also securing Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for a substantial ₹17.5 crore. This aggressive double-swoop demonstrated KKR’s intent to load up on powerful all-rounders who can provide flexibility and match-winning performances, even if it meant letting CSK take the headline-grabbing Green signing. KKR further strengthened their Indian core by acquiring opener Prithvi Shaw for ₹5.25 crore.

Also READ: Cameron Green reveals the real reason behind being listed as a ‘batter’ in IPL 2026 auction

Beyond the major all-rounder battles, the mock auction saw franchises targeting specific team needs, particularly for established Indian players. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), identified as being in dire need of a quality spinner, successfully acquired the talented Indian leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for ₹10.5 crore, a key strategic fix for their bowling unit. Similarly, Delhi Capitals bolstered their death-bowling by signing Sri Lankan speedster Matheesha Pathirana for ₹7 crore. On the batting front, Sarfaraz Khan, following a maiden T20 hundred, found a buyer in Bengaluru for ₹1.50 crore, showing teams are willing to back in-form capped Indian talent. Finally, the highest price for an uncapped player went to wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma, demonstrating the intense competition for young Indian wicketkeeping prospects

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