IPL franchises sit down tomorrow, Tuesday December 16 for mini-auction
350 players set to go under the hammer
Check our top 5 Indian uncapped picks
The Indian Premier League mini-auction for the 2026 season is all set to get underway tomorrow on Tuesday, December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This BCCI have kept the trend of hosting the event outside of the country with Saudi Arabia hosting the previous edition of the format two years ago.
The 10 franchises from North to South and East to West will decide the fates of 350 players, who have registered themselves from across the world.
Franchise owners will be able to choose from 240 Indians and 110 overseas cricketers.
Out of the 350 registrants, there are 224 homegrown and 10 foreign uncapped players, who will be hoping to generate interest from the owners and spark bidding wars.
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the biggest purse available and they will be mainly targeting the Uncapped Indians to secure their long-term plans.
Not just for them, the uncapped Indians are important for the other franchises as well. But who can the team management's target? Here are our top 5 picks to choose from.
Auqib Nabi
The Jammu and Kashmir pacer will surely be on the radar of a number of IPL franchises.
Regarded as the next sensation from the North, Nabi has garnered plenty of praise and recognition for his ability to move the ball either ways consistently.
He has been on absolute fire this domestic season, picking 44 wickets across the Ranji Trophy (29) and Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy (15) 2025.
His performance has been an active talking point among our experts and he looks well on course to have a great payday in the auction.
Ashok Sharma
Having been overlooked after previous stints with KKR (2023) and Rajasthan Royals (2025) as a net bowler, Ashok Sharma could spark an out and out bidding war among the franchises.
The 23-year-old has emerged as a top talent in this domestic season. He has been the highest wicket taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, scaping 20 wickets in 8 matches with a best of 4/16.
His combination of pace and wicket-taking ability makes him a top prospect.
Kartik Sharma
Watch closely for 19-year-old Kartik Sharma, a top uncapped prospect from Rajasthan. He burst onto the scene with a Ranji Trophy century on debut against Uttarakhand.
Since then, he has been highly consistent, particularly in the Vijay Hazare Trophy where he was Rajasthan’s leading scorer. He scored 445 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 118.03.
His T20 game is equally explosive. His overall SMAT strike rate is at 162.92 and also scored 457 runs in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 in 2024.
Mangesh Yadav
Madhya Pradesh's Mangesh Yadav, who is a 23-year-old fast bowling all-rounder, could be on the radar of several IPL franchises.
He provides multiple skillsets, bowls left-arm pace and also scores runs whenever needed.
Despite not being selected for his state team as of yet, Mangesh impressed everyone with his performance in the MP Premier League 2025. He registered a staggering 14 wickets in just 6 matches at an average of 12.
Prashant Veer
Keep an eye on Uttar Pradesh's Prashant Veer. He is a left-arm spinning all-rounder who offers middle-order flexibility.
Veer's auction value is driven by his explosive strike rates. He smashed runs at a strike of 155.34 during the UPT20 season earlier this year and accelerated further in the SMAT with a rate of 169.69, scoring 112 runs in five innings.
In the UPT20 league, he scored 320 runs and bagged eight wickets. His capacity to bat aggressively while offering economical bowling control is exactly the versatile squad depth franchises will be looking for.
