The IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi was exciting as always, but this year brought something new. For the first time, two uncapped players, Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, caught the eye of several teams. They were bought for what many see as high prices, but their talent and potential made them stand out. Their big contracts surprised many, especially since they outperformed some well-known international players.
These two young players were not the only ones to earn big contracts. Other uncapped players also went for some big bucks at the mini auction for IPL 2026.
Here are the top five uncapped players who made the most money at the 2026 IPL auction.
Prashant Veer (₹14.20 Crore – CSK)
CSK stacked their cash and spent a good chunk of it on Prashant Veer, the 20-year-old left-arm spin bowler from Uttar Pradesh who has also built a reputation as a handy lower-order bat with the ability to take down pace bowlers. Mainly picked for his bowling, CSK see him as a like-for-like replacement for Ravindra Jadeja, who has now moved to Rajasthan Royals.
Kartik Sharma (₹14.20 Crore – CSK)
CSK went all out for Kartik Sharma, the young wicket-keeper batsman known for his explosive batting. The five-time champions assembled a squad with several wicketkeepers, yet they found themselves in a bidding war with other franchises eager to snap up this raw talent. This is understandable, given his ability to score runs quickly, striking at over 160 in domestic T20S.
It is surprising to see both players, who started with a base price of 30 lakh, get picked up for nearly 50 times that amount. This shows that franchises are now looking ahead and willing to invest in new talent with strong potential.
Vaayu Saxena, editor of mybettingsitesindia.com, says, “This drastic shift in auction strategy, particularly from franchises like Chennai Super Kings (CSK), makes one thing very clear: even untested players are likely to attract a lot of interest and, if they show a lot of promise and have immense potential to shine on the big stage, command a high price.”
Auqib Nabi (₹8.40 Crore – Delhi Capitals):
Another standout at the auction was Auqib Nabi, a pacer from Jammu and Kashmir who has made a name for himself in domestic cricket, following in the footsteps of Umran Malik. His strong performances in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons put him on the radar of many teams and led to a bidding war. His skill in swinging the new ball both ways and bowling economically at the end of an innings has made him a popular pick.
A few other domestic players were picked up for their raw talent, including Mangesh Yadav and Tejasvi Singh.
Mangesh Yadav (₹5.20 Crore – RCB)
RCB spent over five crore on Mangesh Yadav, underscoring their commitment to investing in players with raw talent and consistent domestic performances. The 2026 champions’ management would be hoping that the addition of the left-arm pacer from Madhya Pradesh would add variety to their bowling attack.
Tejasvi Singh (₹3 Crore – KKR)
Kolkata Knight Riders, the 2024 champions, also showed they are willing to back raw talent by paying 3 crore for Tejasvi Singh, nearly 10 times his base price of 30 lakh. Known for his six-hitting prowess, the 23-year-old cricketer from Delhi had many franchises interested in him, but KKR went all the way to pick him up. The three-time champions made it clear they want to add depth to the squad and are open to picking young players with potential.
Many franchises tried to outdo each other and bought high-quality Indian all-rounders, lower-order hitters, and fast bowlers to ensure they did not lose out to other franchises. This was possible because they invested in expanding their scouting networks and looking for talent at all levels, from private T20 leagues such as the UPT20 to domestic competitions. This clearly marks a drastic shift in the franchise’s changing philosophies, to invest in the future and pick and groom talented players before their value peaks further.
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