As the date for IPL 2026 mini auction draws near, all 10 franchises set to participate in the event have almost wrapped up going through extensive research to identify some of their best bids on uncapped players for the coming season.
Uncapped players refer to the athletes who have never represented their country in global tournaments. These cricketers may be big names in the domestic circuit (Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq Ali, etc.), but have never gotten the opportunity to play international tournaments.
The IPL 2026 auction is a mini-auction scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is not a mega-auction, as franchises were allowed to retain most of their players from the previous season.
IPL Auction 2026: Uncapped players to look out for
Some of the top uncapped buys identified by cricket intelligence platforms like ESPNcrickinfo and crickbuzz have been listed as follows:
Alok Sharma (23)
A young pacer from Rajasthan, Alok Sharma recently concluded a very successful domestic season. The 23-year-old right-arm pacer from Rajasthan topped the wickets chart in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he bagged 20 wickets so far in 8 matches, including a personal best figure of 4/16. Once a net bowler with Rajasthan Royals, he was later part of the squad in IPL 2025 but didn’t get a game. This season, however, Sharma is expected to play and attract a major bid.
Auqib Nabi (29)
A veteran pacer from Kashmir, Nabi has been a consistent wicket-taker across formats in domestic cricket over the past few seasons. His recent outing at the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy saw him take 15 wickets in seven matches with an economy of 7. Known for his ability to produce a good swing with the new ball, Nabi has been recognised as one of the most valuable uncapped assets for the upcoming auction. Nabi was previously employed by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as a net bowler.
Kartik Sharma (19)
A clean striker and a lower-order finisher, Kartik Sharma’s ability to hit big sixes in crucial overs has several teams excited. The second player from Rajasthan to feature on this list, 19- year old Karthik has earned his reputation as one of the best young finishers in the domestic circuit through his recent games, which also got him praise from R Aswhin. In his last 12 T20s, Kartik scored 334 runs at a strike rate of 164, hitting 28 sixes.
Prashant Veer (20)
A promising all rounder from Uttar Pradesh, Veer is known for his ability to score runs quickly as a left handed batter and take out wickets in crucial situations and maintain a good economy as an off spinner. Veer enjoyed a strong UP T20 season this year, scoring 320 runs and picking up eight wickets across 10 matches.
Abhishek Pathak (28)
A growing name in domestic T20 circles, Abhishek Sharma is known for his ability to hammer balls out of the park, right when his team needs it the most. In the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh Premier League 2025, Pathak posted a strike rate of close to 250, ranking among the standout batters for his rapid scoring.
IPL Auction 2026: Player pool
A total of 359 players have been shortlisted for the IPL 2026 mini-auction, which will take place on December 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi. These players will compete for a total of 77 available slots across the ten franchises.
High bids are expected to be placed for some of the following big names in the upcoming auction, who have been valued at a base price of Rs 2 crore, like Cameron Green, Ravi Bishnoi and Quinton de Kock. With a combined purse of Rs 237.55 crore, all 10 franchises will be bidding on 350 shortlisted players to fill 77 available slots at the auction tomorrow.