IPL 2026 auction is set for a busy, high‑stakes day in Abu Dhabi, and the updated players list has already thrown up a big headline – the surprise return of Quinton de Kock. At the same time, the BCCI has sharply trimmed the long list, making the final pool far leaner and more focused.

Final auction list and format

The IPL 2026 auction will feature 350 players after the BCCI removed 1,005 names from the original long list. The board also added 35 new players who had not registered earlier, based on franchise requests and updated availability. The auction will start at 1 pm UAE time (2:30 pm IST) on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Bidding will begin with a full round of capped players, grouped by role in this order:

• Batters

• All‑rounders

• Wicketkeeper‑batters

• Fast bowlers

• Spin bowlers

The same order will then be used for uncapped players. After those rounds, an “accelerated” phase will cover players numbered 71–350. Once that is done, teams can submit names (from among unsold or still unpresented players in the 350‑man list) for further accelerated rounds, allowing franchises to quickly circle back to specific targets.

Quinton de Kock’s surprise return

The biggest talking point is Quinton de Kock’s name appearing in the final list despite him not being part of the original registrations. A franchise specifically requested that his name be included, and the BCCI agreed. De Kock, who recently reversed his international retirement and smashed a century against India in the third ODI at Visakhapatnam, has clearly put himself back in the spotlight.

He has kept his base price at ₹1 crore, which is 50% lower than the ₹2 crore base price he carried at the previous mega auction when he was picked up by Knight Riders at that amount. The lower base price, combined with his current form and experience as a top‑order wicketkeeper‑batter, makes him one of the most attractive overseas options in this auction.

New overseas names added

Along with de Kock, several overseas players who were not in the original pool have now been added to the final 350‑player list. These include:

• Afghanistan: Arab Gul

• England: Miles Hammond, Dan Lategan

• South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Connor Eztherhuizen, George Linde, Bayanda Majola

• Sri Lanka: Traveen Mathew, Binura Fernando, Kusal Perera, Dunith Wellalage

• West Indies: Akeem Auguste

For some of them, such as Arab Gul and Akeem Auguste, this will be their first time at an IPL auction, adding fresh talent to the pool.

New Indian names in the list

Among Indian players, several fresh domestic names who were not part of the initial submission have also been added. These include:

Sadek Hussain, Vishnu Solanki, Sabir Khan, Brijesh Sharma, Kanishk Chouhan, Aaron George, Jikku Bright, Srihari Nair, Madhav Bajaj, Shreevathsa Acharya, Yashraj Punja, Sahil Parakh, Roshan Waghsare, Yash Dicholkar, Ayaz Khan, Dhurmil Matkar, Naman Pushpak, Parikshit Valsangkar, Purav Agarwal, Rishabh Chouhan, Sagar Solanki, Izaz Sawariya and Aman Shekawat.

These additions give franchises a wider choice of uncapped Indian talent, especially for backup roles and future investments.

Snapshot of new inclusions