The mini auction ahead of the 19th installment of the Indian Premier League is scheduled to be held on December 15. Meanwhile, the deadline for the IPL
2026 retention list has already been decided as November 15.
In this particular auction, like other mini auctions in the past, franchises will aim on strengthening their depth while keeping their core strengths intact. There will also be a few players who will be released to participate in the auction whom teams will look to cash in on.
Top 5 players likely to make a strong comeback in auction
5. Daryl Mitchell
Daryl Mitchellhas played only two IPL seasons so far. He last played for CSK in the 2024 season before going unsold in the subsequent season's mega auction. He had scored 318 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 142.60, but his medium pace bowling skills weren't put to use much by the five-time champions.
The batting all-rounder has been in some fine white-ball format of late for New Zealand. His last six scores in the format read 78*, 56*, 44 (in ODIs) and 13, 28* and 41 (in T20Is). Mitchell could be expected to spark a bidding war by franchises in need of a power hitter in the middle order.
4. Akeal Hosein
Akeal Hosein has only played one IPL so far. He was snapped up for INR 1 crore by SRH for the 2023 season, and featured in his only match of the cash-rich tournament that season. The left-arm spinner conceded 40 runs in his quota while picking up one wicket. However, he did not play another game thereafter.
Akeal has been going unsold since the past two seasons. However, his recent white-ball exploits against Nepal, Bangladesh and New Zealand (17 wickets in 10 matches overall as of November 9) have made a strong case for him. He is very well known for his unique ability of being relentlessly accurate while swinging the new ball as a spinner.
3. Nathan Ellis
After not really having the best of outings in CSK's season-opening clash of IPL 2025, Nathan Elliswas benched for Matheesha Pathirana. Ellis had conceded 38 runs in four overs while picking up one wicket in the all-important encounter against MI.
It is more than likely that the Australian quick will not get retained by the franchise. However, other teams in need of a skiddy quick might be interested in him. Barring a couple of matches in the seven matches he played against India, the Australian pacer impressed with his variations and returned with economical figures too.
2. Vignesh Puthur
The left-arm wrist spin of Vignesh Puthur had attracted the attention of MI during the mega auction last year. He was plucked out of the inaugural instalment of the Kerala T20 league, despite not having played a lot of matches. Puthur was bought for his base price of INR 30 lakh.
He impressed in his debut match with the wickets of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda. Puthur was unfortunately ruled out of the bulk of the season after suffering a bone stress reaction in both shins. The talented cricketer will most probably be bound to find a lot of teams bidding for him if he is not retained.
1. Quinton de Kock
After spending three back-to-back seasons with LSG, Quinton de Kockwas bought for INR 3.60 crore by KKR ahead of the previous season. In just the second game of the season for the three-time champions', the left-handed batter impressed with an unbeaten 97-run knock.
However, he had a forgettable next six matches for the side. The South African batter could muster only 51 runs. De Kock recently reversed his retirement from ODIs to play in the series against Pakistan. He recorded two half-centuries and a ton in the three matches. The southpaw looked in fine nick while in the middle. There is a strong likelihood that he will be a hotly-contested prospect in the upcoming auction.
