In a rare instance in IPL auction history, all 77 available slots were filled at the mini edition for the 2026 season in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (December 16). Each of the ten franchises, thus, went home
with 25/25 players, with smiles on their faces, reflecting their satisfaction after a seven-hour shift at the Etihad Arena.
However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t any disappointments. Like with every season, some players seemed sure-shot to get at least some bids, but had to go unsold. This time, most of these were overseas as the IPL showed a shift from chasing after big foreign names towards more household ones.
Check our top five picks below:
#5 Devon Conway
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Devon Conway was one of the most experienced players to go unsold. The New Zealander has 1080 runs to his name in the IPL, with an average of 43.20 and a strike-rate of 139.71. Although the auction dynamics were such that not many teams needed openers but some could have done with a good back-up option like Conway.
#4 Michael Bracewell
New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell was another surprising absentee. Unlike openers, there were quite a few teams, like the Gujarat Titans, that needed middle-order options, and Bracewell has been in decent form over the past couple of years, with both bat and ball.
He has struck at over 145 in three of the last four seasons. His bowling is more than handy, with 96 wickets to his name in T20s at an average of 25.20. In 2025, his figures read 23 wickets in 29 matches at an economy rate of 9.39 — perfectly good enough for even teams who went with untested uncapped picks.
#3 Shai Hope
Shai Hope has been the West Indies’ best batter this year across formats. He scored four 50s and a century against Australia for an overall 556 runs in 19 T20Is. In ODIs, he smashed 678 runs at 55.8 with a strike-rate of 98.8 for four 50s and two centuries.
He’s not as brutal with boundaries as many other wicketkeepers on the market, but for several teams, he could have been more of a spine option, to temper all the only-attack tactics with his experience and stability.
#2 Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow had the perfect mix of IPL experience and current form. In 2025, he has played 30 T20s, scoring 878 runs at a strike-rate of 149.1, including three fifties and one century. He showed his value in this year’s IPL, too, scoring the 22-ball 47 to help Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator.
Thanks to his versatility, it won’t be a surprise if another team calls him up as an injury replacement this year.
#1 Jamie Smith
The England wicketkeeper’s name was taken thrice in the IPL 2026 auction, showing that some teams did have an interest in him. In the first of the two accelerated rounds, a couple of franchises even asked the auctioneer, Malika Sagar, to wait for them to discuss with him, but he eventually found no buyer.
It’s extremely surprising. Smith is one of the best wicketkeeper-batters in the world. The 25-year-old has played only five T20Is for England but scored 130 runs at a strike rate of 194.02; in 97 T20s otherwise, he has 1687 runs at a strike rate of 144.31, with consistent returns to his name in The Hundred.
For many franchises, he could have been a fantastic future investment, who could play all across the batting order from opening to finishing. For that reason, some expected him to even go over the Rs. 10 crore mark.
