Top 5 oldest players to register for IPL 2026 auction

Published - 09 Dec 2025, 16:50 IST | Updated - 09 Dec 2025, 17:08 IST

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently revealed the final list of 350 players set to go under the hammer at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16, and among them are several veterans nearing the twilight of their careers. A few haven't been part of the league for a few years now, but have still registered their names, in a bid to attract a taker at the table.

With 1390 registrations trimmed down to 350 names, the pool features 240 Indian and 110 overseas players, many of whom are on the verge of retirement and hoping for one last shot at the league. This year’s auction sees some of the oldest active cricketers. As franchises prepare to fill 77 slots, these veterans will hope to earn a final IPL contract.

South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius will be among the oldest players on the auction list this year. The 37-year-old's career took off late after multiple knee injuries. His comeback saw him become South Africa’s T20 Amateur Cricketer of the Year in 2011-12, earning a franchise contract in 2014-15, and later representing his country in all three formats.

Pretorius even holds South Africa’s best T20I bowling figures of 5 for 17 against Pakistan. In the IPL, he featured for Chennai Super Kings in 2022 and 2023, playing a total of seven games and bagging six wickets. This year he has once again given his name and will enter at the base price of INR 1 crore. It will be interesting to see if CSK re-buy Pretorius or he will find a new home elsewhere.