Abu Dhabi, Dec 16 (NationPress) The IPL 2026 player auction kicked off with a slow start in the uncapped players' segment, but soon Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma made headlines as the Chennai Super Kings secured them for an unprecedented price of Rs. 14.20 crore each.

Initially, the uncapped batters category saw all six listed players, including Aarya Desai, Yash Dhull, Abhinav Manohar, Anmolpreet Singh, Atharva Taide, and Abhinav Tejrana, fail to attract any bids.

However, a thrilling bidding war erupted for Auqib Dar, a talented all-rounder from Jammu and Kashmir, who fetched an impressive Rs. 8.4 crore deal from the Delhi Capitals after outbidding rivals like the Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and SunRisers Hyderabad.

Prashant Veer then captured attention as five franchises vied for his signature, ultimately leading to his acquisition by the five-time champions, CSK.

Among all-rounders, Shivang Kumar was the only other player to secure a bid, receiving Rs. 30 lakh from the SRH, while the remaining players including Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Tanush Kotian, Mahipal Lomror, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vijay Shankar, Sanvir Singh, and Eden Tom, went unsold.

Kartik Sharma emerged as a hot commodity among wicketkeeper-batters, with five teams—MI, LSG, KKR, SRH, and CSK—bidding fiercely. He equaled Veer’s price, making it a historic moment as CSK brought him on board.

Both all-rounder Veer and wicketkeeper-batter Kartik have now surpassed Avesh Khan to become the most expensive uncapped acquisitions in IPL history. In the IPL 2023 auction, Avesh was signed by the Lucknow Super Giants for Rs. 10 crore, making him the previous record holder.

Nevertheless, the 2026 auction showcased CSK's willingness to invest heavily in the uncapped duo, each securing a lucrative Rs. 14.20 crore deal.

Other notable wicketkeeper signings included Mukul Choudhary (Rs. 2.6 Cr) and Tejasvi Singh (Rs. 3 Cr), who were acquired by LSG and KKR, respectively, while Ruchit Ahir, Vansh Bedi, and Tushar Raheja remained unsold.

The bowlers' segment saw fast bowlers Sushant Mishra (RR), Ashok Sharma (GT), Naman Tiwari (LSG), and Kartik Tyagi (KKR) landing contracts.

Among the seven uncapped spinners, only three—Yash Raj Punja (RR), Vignesh Puthur (RR), and Prashant Solanki (KKR)—received bids, while IPL veteran Karn Sharma, Kumar Kartikeya, Shivam Shukla, and Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran went unsold.