It was a massive pay day for some foreign and Indian players at the Indian Premier League 2026 mini auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The franchises spent a total of Rs 204.45 crore (Rs 2.0445 billion) on 77 players, to complete their squads for IPL 2026. However some big names went shockingly unsold...
Devon Conway (Rs 2 crore [Rs 20 million] base price)
Devon Conway had been a regular at the top of the order for Chennai Super Kings before being released into the auction pool. A key cog in CSK's title-winning run in 2023, the left-hander piled up 672 runs from 16 matches and played a major role in their march to the trophy.
He missed the entire 2024 IPL season with a thumb injury but returned in 2025, featuring largely as an Impact Player. In six appearances that season, Conway scored 156 runs as he worked his way back into form.
Maheesh Theekshana (Rs 2 crore base price)
The mystery spinner from Sri Lanka was ignored by franchises. In 38 IPL matches, he has taken 36 wickets, with best figures of 4 for 33.
He enjoyed an impressive maiden IPL season with CSK in 2022, picking up 12 wickets in nine matches. However, inconsistency over the past few seasons has worked against him.
Last year, he managed 11 wickets from 11 games, a return that eventually led to his release by the Rajasthan Royals.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Rs 2 crore base price)
Once the flavour of the season, Mujeeb Ur Rahman's IPL journey has come full circle.
The Afghan spinner burst on to the IPL stage in 2018, becoming the youngest cricketer to feature in the league at just 17.
That debut season with Punjab Kings remains his most productive, as he claimed 14 wickets from 11 matches and quickly earned a reputation as a mystery spinner who could outfox seasoned batters.
Mujeeb stayed with Punjab for three seasons before moving to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2021. Thereafter, opportunities dried up and he spent three consecutive seasons on the sidelines.
A return with Mumbai Indians in 2025 offered a chance at revival, but the comeback failed to spark, and the off-spinner once again found himself unsold.
Jonny Bairstow (Rs 1 crore [Rs 10 million] base price)
Jonny Bairstow has long been valued in the IPL for his power-hitting at the top and his ability to double up as a wicketkeeper-batter. He made his league debut with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019, a season that also proved to be his most productive with the bat.
After representing SRH and later Punjab Kings, Bairstow was forced to sit out the 2023 edition due to injury. He returned to the league last season after being picked up by the Mumbai Indians, but opportunities were limited, with the England international featuring in just two matches.
Yash Dhull (Rs 30 lakh [Rs 3 million] base price)
Yash Dhull rose to prominence after captaining India to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2022 and was widely viewed as a long-term prospect across formats.
Dhull was part of Delhi Capitals' squad in the 2023 season but failed to make an impact, managing little in the four matches he featured in. In 2024, his career was temporarily put on hold after he was diagnosed with a hole in his heart, forcing him to step away from the game.
Although he later returned to competitive cricket, Dhull again found no takers, having gone unsold at the IPL 2025 auction as well.
Dasun Shanaka (Rs 75 lakh [Rs 7.5 million] base price)
A proven all-rounder, the 34-year-old Sri Lankan led his national side in the T20I tri-series last month, underlining his leadership credentials.
A powerful middle-order batter and a useful medium-pacer, Shanaka has delivered often when the moment has demanded it. Across 119 T20Is, he has scored 1,670 runs and claimed 41 wickets, with best figures of 3 for 16.
His IPL exposure, however, has been limited. Shanaka featured in just three matches during his debut season in 2023, managing 26 runs, offering little opportunity to truly showcase his ability.
Known as a sharp cricketing mind, Shanaka has nonetheless struggled with consistency -- a factor that has often stalled his progress despite his undoubted talent.
Jake Fraser-McGurk (Rs 2 crore base price)
The Australian batter had a massive season for Delhi Capitals in his maiden IPL season back in 2024. The big-hitting batter sent the bowlers to all corners of the park, smashing 330 runs in 9 matches at an average of 36.67 and a highest of 84. He hit 28 sixes and 32 fours that year with four half tons against his name.
The opener failed to replicate that form in IPL 2025, as he struggled to find his range. He tallied a lowly 55 runs in 6 matches.
Inconsistent performances at the international level has seen the axe fall on him. He has scored just 1 half-ton in 8 T20I matches and he last played a T20I back in July against the West Indies. In form or not, Fraser-McGurk can send the ball sailing into the stands if it's his day.
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