IPL 2026 Auction: Top domestic T20 League performers who could trigger bidding wars

India’s domestic T20 circuit has become the IPL’s most fertile scouting ground, with franchises increasingly treating State leagues as live auction trials. Over the past season, performances across multiple regional T20 tournaments have pushed several previously unheralded players into serious IPL contention.

After tracking these leagues on the ground, our reporters have shortlisted domestic T20 performers who could draw serious interest, and which IPL teams are best placed to move.

Madhya Pradesh T20 League

By Sahil Mathur

Abhishek Pathak | Opening batter

The opener was in blistering form during the MP T20 League, catching the eye of both IPL scouts and Madhya Pradesh selectors with his fearless strokeplay. Representing Bundelkhand Bulls, the right-hander piled up 266 runs in six innings at a staggering strike rate of over 246, hitting more sixes than fours (25 to 21). His standout effort came against Indore Pink Panthers, where he smashed 75 off just 22 balls to fuel a 245-run chase with an over to spare. He followed that with a brutal 48-ball 133 to lift his team to 246 in another game.

At 28, Pathak’s raw power and effortless boundary-hitting turned him into one of the most talked-about batters of the tournament. However, while the sample size and conditions favour explosive scoring in local T20 leagues, the next test for him will be whether this range and tempo translate against higher-quality domestic attacks. From an IPL lens, he profiles as a high-variance PowerPlay disruptor rather than a finished top-order solution.

Teams such as Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, and Delhi Capitals, all seeking a backup Indian opener, could find Abhishek a valuable option.

Ritik Tada | Middle-order power-hitter

A right-handed middle-order batter, Ritik Tada stood out as a clean striker with notable game awareness. Lean in build and fluent in execution, some of his strokes even drew comparisons with Hardik Pandya. On one occasion, he carved a wide delivery behind square, prompting an IPL scout to remark that the shot looked “exactly like Pandya.” The 23-year-old scored 173 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 216.25, striking 13 sixes and 14 fours for Jabalpur Lions.

Although his medium pace was sparingly used during the tournament, Ritik still retains the profile of a genuine batting all-round option rather than a pure hitter. The unanswered question from a higher-level scouting perspective is whether his bowling can be developed into a dependable secondary IPL skill, or whether he remains a batting-first depth option.

Ritik could draw interest from franchises like KKR, LSG, and Gujarat Titans, all of whom are on the lookout for a solid Indian middle-order backup who can also chip in with the ball.

Mangesh Yadav | Left-arm pacer

A left-arm pacer with a sharp yorker, 24-year-old Mangesh Yadav emerged as the leading wicket-taker of the league with 14 scalps in 21 overs for Gwalior Cheetahs. He registered three four-wicket hauls in six outings, including a standout spell of 4 for 18 in three overs. Bowling with pace, control, and a repeatable yorker at the death, he stayed firmly on the scouts’ radar throughout the tournament.

Yet, despite the breakout numbers, Mangesh is yet to make his senior Madhya Pradesh debut, which places a natural ceiling on his immediate IPL readiness. From a franchise viewpoint, he fits the profile of a left-arm depth pacer with upside rather than an instant first-team solution.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans, both in need of a backup left-arm pacer, could view Mangesh as a smart, budget-friendly option.

Tamil Nadu Premier League

By Anish Pathiyil and Nigamanth P.

Sunny Sandhu | Pace-bowling all-rounder

Who doesn’t love a pace-bowling all-rounder? The scarcity of Indian seam-bowling all-rounders in the domestic circuit continues to make this a high-value profile at the IPL auction. For teams operating on a tight purse at the IPL 2026 auction, Tamil Nadu’s Sunny Sandhu could emerge as a low-risk, developmental option.

Salem Spartans’ underwhelming TNPL 2025 campaign meant Sandhu’s T20 numbers did not truly pop. But in the 50-over BCCI Men’s Under-23 State Trophy, the late-order batter stacked up 253 runs at an average of 50.60 and a strike rate of 107.65, along with 11 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 5.49. While the List-A strike rate does not immediately translate to T20 finishing violence, his ability to swing the new ball in the PowerPlay and offer late-innings boundary-hitting remains his core selling point.

An Indian medium-pace all-rounder still remains a squad luxury for most IPL teams given the Impact Player dynamics. Expect Sandhu to be viewed more as a depth-building pick than a first-choice XI option, but that alone could be enough to generate auction interest at the lower end of the base-price spectrum.

R. Sonu Yadav | All-rounder

Sonu Yadav returned to the Tamil Nadu side for SMAT 2025 after a standout TNPL season, finishing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 16 wickets in seven games.
| Photo Credit:
G. Karthikeyan

R. Sonu Yadav is another Tamil Nadu product to fit the Indian pace-bowling all-rounder mould. He forced his way back into the State setup for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 after four years, riding on a breakout TNPL 2025 season with the Nellai Royal Kings, where he finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 16 wickets in seven matches.

Tamil Nadu’s SMAT campaign faltered early, and Sonu’s own numbers reflected the tougher jump in quality. He picked up seven wickets in six games at an economy of 8.52, an area that will invite scrutiny for a designated death bowler. That said, the 26-year-old has broadened his skill set since his previous stint at this level, notably adding a deceptive slower ball, making him less of a one-pace option. He also offered a reminder of his lower-order batting utility with a 25-ball 43 from No. 8, rescuing TN from 89 for five to 169 for eight.

With Indian death-bowling backups still in short supply across most squads, Sonu profiles as a depth acquisition rather than an immediate starter. Franchises looking to bolster their Indian death-overs reserves, including Chennai Super Kings, could keep a close eye on him as a controllable domestic option.

Tushar Raheja | Wicketkeeper-batter

The Tiruppur Tamizhans’ maiden TNPL title in 2025 was built around a dominant opening pairing, and left-hand batter Tushar Raheja was central to that title run. With 488 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 185.55, Raheja consistently handed his side fast starts at the top. Whether attacking from the first ball or pacing an innings, his adaptability across phases stood out through the season.

He opened with a 43-ball 79 against defending champions Dindigul Dragons and capped his campaign with a match-winning 46-ball 77 in the final, underlining his ability to deliver across high-pressure games.

However, the transition to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy exposed the current gap in his consistency against higher-grade attacks. In seven innings for Tamil Nadu, Raheja crossed 30 only once — a 41-ball 72 against Delhi — an output that tempers the TNPL surge in pure auction terms.

At the IPL 2026 auction, Raheja’s twin value as a left-hand top-order batter and wicket-keeping option keeps him in the conversation as a base-price, high-upside punt. Kolkata Knight Riders, which traditionally favours flexible, multi-skill domestic slots, could track his name, though franchises are likely to view him as a bench-building investment rather than a plug-and-play starter.

Saurashtra Pro T20 League

By Abhishek Saini

Krains Fuletra | Left-arm wrist spinner

Krains Fuletra is likely to draw interest from several teams, given how left-arm wrist spinners have influenced the IPL in recent seasons. He took 10 wickets in nine innings for Anmol Kings Halar in the 2025 Saurashtra Pro T20 League at an economy of seven, usually used to stall run flow in the middle overs. His consistency earned him the Emerging Player award.

The 21-year-old has played only two T20s at the senior level, so any interest rests on novelty rather than a proven body of work. Last season, Mumbai Indians debuted Kerala’s Vignesh Puthur in a similar scenario, despite his lack of domestic experience.

Fuletra has also bowled to top-level batters as a Sunrisers Hyderabad net bowler. Heinrich Klaasen praised him on a South African podcast, saying he struggled to line him up because Fuletra kept altering pace and angle with subtle changes.

Chetan Sakariya | Left-arm fast bowler

Chetan Sakariya picked nine wickets in eight games for Aryan Sorath Lions at an economy of eight in the Saurashtra Pro T20 League 2025. 
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI

Chetan Sakariya played just one match for Kolkata Knight Riders last season after being signed as Umran Malik’s injury replacement. Once an IPL success story, Sakariya’s breakout 2021 season with Rajasthan Royals (14 wickets) was followed by a high-value move to Delhi Capitals. But irregular opportunities and injuries stalled his rise.

The 27-year-old has revived his case this year. He picked nine wickets in eight games for Aryan Sorath Lions at an economy of eight in the Saurashtra Pro T20 League 2025. That form carried into the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he finished as Saurashtra’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets in seven matches, delivering four overs in every game.

His combination of experience, left-arm angle, and current form should place him firmly on teams’ radar as they search for reliable Indian pacers.

Luckyraj Vaghela | Middle-order batter

Luckyraj Vaghela’s numbers in the Saurashtra Pro T20 League were modest in volume — 171 runs in eight innings — but his strike rate of 211 was the highest in the tournament. His standout cameo was a 10-ball 33 against Anmol Kings Halar, delivered from the lower-middle order.

That intent earned him a call-up for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He featured in three games, scoring 55 runs at a strike rate of 177, including a 23 off seven blitz against Delhi. He took on Ayush Badoni and Simarjeet Singh, both IPL regulars, without hesitation.

For teams looking for an Indian power-hitter who can disrupt phases late in the innings, Vaghela provides evidence of a defined role rather than raw potential.

Delhi Premier League

By Vivek Krishnan

Tejasvi Dahiya | Wicketkeeper-batter

The 23-year-old wicketkeeper from Delhi profiles as a middle-order hitter with genuine boundary-clearing power. In this year’s Delhi Premier League, he emerged as one of the standout performers, scoring 339 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 190.45. He has since broken into Delhi’s T20 side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and picked up a maiden half-century against Karnataka on December 4.

The raw numbers underline his hitting potential, but the more telling trait is how he handled pressure in tight DPL chases. That temperament is harder to measure and far more valuable in the middle order, a role he usually occupies at No. 5. Trained by renowned coach Sanjay Bhardwaj, Tejasvi has drawn wide interest, attending trials for every IPL franchise except Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings, which had already evaluated him separately. The question now is whether domestic returns can translate to the far higher intensity of an IPL dressing room.

Arpit Rana | Opening batter

Arpit Rana is yet to debut in T20s for Delhi, but he has been included in the Nitish Rana-led squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
| Photo Credit:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Arpit Rana may not cut an imposing figure at the crease, but the 22-year-old left-hand opener from Delhi has shown he can hit above his weight. After an unremarkable first season in the Delhi Premier League, he produced a compelling second act, finishing with 495 runs at an average of 55 and a strike rate of 146.88 for the East Delhi Riders.

The leap in output is notable, though it does invite the usual question: is this a breakout or a hot patch in a league still finding its competitive ceiling? Arpit is yet to debut in T20s for Delhi, but he has been included in the Nitish Rana-led squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Post-DPL, he trialled with the Delhi Capitals, a sign that at least one franchise sees upside in his improved method. Whether he can sustain that progress against stronger bowling will determine how fast he moves up the ladder.

T20 Mumbai League

By Shayan Acharya

Sairaj Patil | All-rounder

Sairaj Patil claimed 11 wickets in the group stage of this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, even if limited chances with the bat make it harder to judge whether his hitting can scale against stronger attacks. 
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA

Sairaj Patil has been a late bloomer, but the 28-year-old has finally carved out a niche as a white-ball all-rounder. His Mumbai career has been stop-start, yet he forced his way into the conversation through last season’s T20 Mumbai League, where he scored 233 runs in six innings at a strike rate above 150 and picked up seven wickets.

His all-round contribution was not incidental. Patil took three Player of the Match awards in six outings and finished as Player of the Tournament. Much of the talk centers on his six-hitting in the middle order, but the more grounded value lies in his seam bowling. He delivers wickets in short, impactful spells, which is often what separates a usable all-rounder from someone who is simply a hitter who bowls.

Patil has long been on IPL radars, though interest has yet to translate into opportunity. This season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has kept that interest alive. He claimed 11 wickets in the group stage, even if limited chances with the bat make it harder to judge whether his hitting can scale against stronger attacks. Still, he has entrenched himself as Mumbai’s third seamer behind Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande, which is no small feat in a bowling unit that tends to reward consistency over promise.

His training routine is intense. Patil hits between 500 and 1000 balls a day and aims for 50 to 100 sixes in each session. The method sounds extreme, but it reflects how seriously he takes the demands of modern T20 cricket.

Sairaj might be a depth option rather than a frontline pick for Mumbai Indians.

Published on Dec 12, 2025