Three Sri Lankans in IPL Auction Max Base Price List

Three Sri Lankan stars — pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana, all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, and spinner Maheesh Theekshana — are among 45 players who have entered the maximum reserve price bracket of INR 2 crore for the upcoming 2026 IPL Auction.

One notable absentee from the long list is Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, whom Punjab Kings purchased for ₹4.2 crore last season, making them the fourth franchise of his IPL career. Maxwell, now 37, fractured his finger midway through the 2025 season and was replaced by fellow Australian all-rounder Mitchell Owen, who has since been retained by PBKS.

England’s Moeen Ali, like Faf du Plessis, has opted to play in the Pakistan Super League instead of the IPL. Moeen has featured in eight IPL seasons since 2018 and won two titles with CSK. Another high-profile absentee is Andre Russell, the Kolkata Knight Riders legend, who retired from the IPL after not being retained and has joined KKR as a “power coach.”

A total of 1,355 players have registered for the auction, which the IPL shared with franchises on Monday after the November 30 deadline. With a maximum squad size of 25 per franchise, 77 slots are available, including 31 overseas players. The list will be trimmed once franchises submit their wishlists by December 5, ahead of the auction scheduled in Abu Dhabi on December 16.

While Indian specialists are expected to attract big bids, the spotlight is firmly on Australia’s Cameron Green, who missed the 2025 mega-auction due to a back injury. Strong interest is expected from KKR (₹64.3 crore purse) and CSK (₹43.4 crore purse), both of whom have overseas slots available.

KKR are tipped as favorites to pursue Green, especially after the retirement of West Indies T20 great Andre Russell. Green’s versatility — able to bat anywhere in the order, bowl seam, and contribute in the field — makes him a valuable asset.

KKR released nine players, including Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for ₹23.5 crore last year, leaving them with 12 slots to fill (six overseas). CSK, the five-time champions, have nine slots available (four overseas).

Several recently released players have also listed themselves in the highest reserve price bracket. This includes Pathirana, whom CSK retained for ₹13 crore last year but released after injury struggles. England’s Liam Livingstone, bought by RCB for ₹8.75 crore, lasted just one season after underperforming.

Indian names in the ₹2 crore bracket include Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi, the latter released by Lucknow Super Giants despite being retained for ₹11 crore last year due to declining performances.

Another surprise entry is Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, who played a key role in PBKS’s run to the final. Inglis re-enters the pool after confirming he could only commit to 25% availability for the 2026 season due to personal reasons.

Players with Base Price of ₹2 Crore

Ravi Bishnoi, Venkatesh Iyer, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Steve Smith, Mustafizur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Liam Livingstone, Tymal Mills, Jamie Smith, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Gerald Coetzee, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese, Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph.

Source : https://ceylontoday.lk