Abu Dhabi's lights blaze on 16 December for the IPL 2026 mini-auction, where BCCI's trimmed list of 359 players-240 Indians, 110 overseas-goes under the hammer for 46 Indian and 31 foreign slots.
No marquee fireworks, but capped batters, all-rounders, keepers, and pacers like Matheesha Pathirana, Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, Mustafizur Rahman tee off the action.
From 1,355 registrations pruned to this elite pool, it's a frenzy of strategy, with the youngest gun Sahil Parakh (born 2007) rubbing shoulders with veteran Jalaj Saxena turning 39 on auction eve. Accelerated rounds kick in post-player 70, forcing franchises to nominate their targets-pure tactical chess.
In today's IPL, death overs (16-20) are the real battlefield, where batsmen feast
on anything loose. Teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, scarred by past leaks, eye these overseas pace hounds released or dangled smartly. Slingers, express quicks, cutter kings-they nail yorkers, slower balls, and hard lengths under floodlit pressure, turning 200-plus chases into defences. Base prices at 200 lakh each, these lads could drain purses in a bidding war, handing title edges to the shrewdest buyers.
Prime Death-Over Pace Targets
| Player (Country) | Base Price | Key Role | IPL Wickets/Matches | Death Econ. | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matheesha Pathirana (SL) | ₹200 lakh | Slinging yorker ace | 47/32 | ~8.68 | 4/28 (2024) |
| Anrich Nortje (SA) | ₹200 lakh | Express pace terror | 61/48 | 9.07 | 3/33 (2020) |
| Gerald Coetzee (SA) | ₹200 lakh | Aggressive all-rounder | 15/14 | ~9.70 | 4/34 (2024) |
| Mustafizur Rahman (BAN) | ₹200 lakh | Cutter variation wizard | 65/60 | 8.13 | 4/29 (2024) |
| Lungi Ngidi (SA) | ₹200 lakh | Hard-length enforcer | 29/16 | ~8.50 | 3/30 |
(Stats up to IPL 2025; econ. blends career and death-over focus from official records.)
Baby Malinga Reloaded: Matheesha Pathirana's Sling
Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana, the 'Baby Malinga', slings death-over daggers with a low action that spits yorkers and cutters like venom. In 32 IPL games for CSK (2023-25), he's snared 47 wickets at 21.62 average and 8.68 econ-19 in 2023's title win, 13 in injury-hit 2024 (best 4/28), 13 in 2025 before release. Recurring niggles opened the door, but his clutch yorkers make him franchise catnip. CSK rumours a comeback bid, yet Mumbai, Punjab, and beyond will scrap-Pathirana flips momentum when tails wag.
Nortje's Lightning: Raw Speed, Big Threat
Anrich Nortje's 145 km/h thunderbolts extract bounce and fear across 48 IPL matches, mostly DC, with 61 wickets at 27.16 average, 9.07 econ, strike rate 17.97. Peak 2020 (22 scalps), best 3/33 vs RCB; dipped to 1 in 2025 but KKR/DC stints prove pedigree. Powerplay destroyer who storms back for death bouncers-RR or KKR types will chase his intimidation to rattle finishers.
Coetzee's Fire: Pace with Punch
South Africa's Gerald Coetzee, 25, blends express pace, aggression, and lower-order hits in 14 IPL games: 15 wickets total-13 in 10 for MI 2024 (heroic 4/34 vs DC), 2 in 4 for GT 2025. From RR replacement in 2021 to MI breakout, he's all-round gold. Slightly loftier econ suits his stump-shatterer vibe; Green's rivals will bid hard for this future-proof beast.
Fizz and Ngidi: Craft Meets Grit
Mustafizur 'Fizz' Rahman's cutters bamboozle on Indian pitches-65 wickets in 60 IPL games (Bangladesh record), 8.13 econ, best 4/29. SRH 2016 title (17 scalps), now DC's 2025 milestone man (3/33 vs PBKS). Lungi Ngidi pounds decks hard: 29 wickets in 16 matches (CSK/DC/RCB), 18.24 average, ~8.50 econ, 11 in CSK's 2018 triumph. Both deliver ice-cool yorkers-value picks amid the splash.
