The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled for December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Before the auction, allow us to discuss the five priciest players during the IPL mini-auctions.

There are expected to be large offers again, because 360 players have been shortlisted and 77 slots available in total for 10 franchises. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which has the highest purse of ₹64.3 crore, is considered to be one of the most aggressive bidders.

1. Mitchell Starc – ₹24.75 crore (KKR, IPL 2024)

The most expensive buy in the tournament’s mini-auction history is the Australian pacer Starc. KKR managed to acquire the star player for an incredible sum of Rs 9 crore after raising their bid against three other franchises, the Delhi Capitals, the Mumbai Indians, and the Gujarat Titans. Starc, although he had ups and downs during the season, was brilliant in Qualifier 1 and the final match which brought KKR the IPL 2024 championship.

2. Pat Cummins – ₹20.5 crore (SRH, IPL 2024)

At that time, Australian captain Pat Cummins was the most expensive overseas player thanks to Sunrisers Hyderabad’s offer of ₹20.5 crore. After the RCB’s failure in the auction, SRH announced Cummins as the new captain. He bagged 18 wickets and made the team reach IPL 2024 finals.

3. Sam Curran – ₹18.5 crore (PBKS, IPL 2023)

The auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 was largely dominated by the English all-rounder, Sam Curran, who was undoubtedly the main attraction of the event. Even though the bidding for the Punjab Kings was slow, it was eventually improved by acquiring Curran for ₹18.5 crores which was the total amount of Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals.

4. Cameron Green – ₹17.5 crore (MI, IPL 2023)

The Mumbai Indians created a huge stir when they acquired the Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, leaving behind the bids of the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Capitals. His vibrant batting and bowling contributions were the main factors that led to him being the most costly overseas player in IPL history.

5. Ben Stokes – ₹16.25 crore (CSK, IPL 2023)

Chennai Super Kings managed to get the English Test captain Ben Stokes for a spectacular amount of ₹16.25 crore. The amount was the result of an auction situation having numerous other franchises. However, Stokes was injured and could only participate in two matches; thus, he has not been seen in the IPL since then.

The mini-auction for IPL 2026 is expected to be very soon held and this time again the teams would be waging war with their pockets to snatch the most talented players which might result in reshuffling of the list of top players.