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Kartik Sharma to Prashant Veer: Top five most expensive uncapped Indian players at IPL 2026 auction

By Samira Vishwas

New Delhi: Prashant Veer, a rising all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh and Kartik Sharma, an explosive wicket-keeper batter from Rajasthan, became the joint-most expensive uncapped players in IPL history during the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) picked both players for a sum of Rs 14.20 crore each.

Prashant and Kartik surpassed the previous record held by Avesh Khan, who was sold to Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 10 crore as an uncapped pacer in the IPL 2022 auction. Uncapped Indian talent was the theme at the auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, as most of the IPL franchises placed their trust in young domestic players.

Uncapped players were expected to be in demand at the IPL 2026 auction, considering the lack of quality options in the overseas pool. However, the bidding war for some of the uncapped Indian players exceeded expectations as the teams went all out to secure their services. The likes of CSK, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru all invested heavily in Indian domestic talents.

Top 5 most expensive uncapped players at IPL 2026 auction:

Prashant Veer – Rs 14.20 crore – CSK

A young all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, Prashant Veer, caught the eyes of IPL talent scouts after his stellar performances for the Noida Super Kings in the UPT20 2025. A left-arm spinner and a reliable lower-middle order batter, Prashant smashed 320 runs at a strike rate of over 155 while batting mostly in the middle order in the UPT20 last season and also picked up 8 wickets.

He also did well for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 2025, where he scored 112 runs at a strike rate close to 170 as a finisher and also bagged 9 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.76. Many believe Prashant has the potential to be a decent replacement for Ravindra Jadeja at CSK if groomed well by the franchise.

Kartik Sharma – Rs 14.20 crore – CSK

19-year-old Kartik Sharma is a wicket-keeper batter from Rajasthan, who was on the radar of multiple IPL franchises, thanks to his six-hitting prowess. A clean striker of the ball, Kartik bats in the middle order and brings more firepower to CSK’s batting line-up. The talented batter, who is known for his big sixes, was recently signed up by JSW, highlighting his tremendous potential.

He has 334 runs to his name in 12 T20 matches in his career so far at a strike rate of 164, including an impressive 28 sixes. Kartik is likely to bat at no.4 for CSK next season, providing them with a solid Indian option, which the likes of Deepak Hooda and Vijay Shankar failed to do last season.

Auqib Nabi – Rs 8.60 crore – Delhi Capitals

Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi Dar was also expected to be among the most sought-after uncapped players at the IPL 2026 auction. He was roped in by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.60 crore, getting rewarded for his consistent performances for J&K across formats in domestic cricket. Auqib has been one of J&K’s best bowlers for the last couple of seasons and attended trials for multiple franchises before the auction.

While he is an experienced new-ball bowler, Auqib has also worked extensively on his death bowling recently and has emerged as one of the best death bowlers in the domestic circuit. In SMAT 2025, he has 15 wickets in 7 matches for J&K at an economy rate of under 8, highlighting his progress. He has 43 wickets to his name in 34 T20 matches at an economy of 7.74.

Mangesh Yadav – Rs 5.20 crore – RCB

Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Mangesh Yadav was roped in by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for Rs 5.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction. The 23-year-old was expected to trigger a bidding war between teams, considering his all-round skills. A left-arm pacer and a handy batter, Mangesh took the Madhya Pradesh Premier League (MPL) 2025 by storm with his bowling heroics earlier this year.

He picked up 14 wickets in just six matches in the tournament at an average of 12, including three four-fers. Mangesh received his maiden T20 call-up for Madhya Pradesh in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 and has done decently with 28 runs and three wickets in two matches.

Tejasvi Dahiya – Rs 3 crore – KKR

An attacking wicket-keeper batter from Delhi, Tejasvi Dahiya, was bought by KKR for Rs 3 crore, ten times his base price, at the IPL 2026 auction. Dahiya garnered headlines for his exploits in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, where he hammered 339 runs at an impressive strike rate of over 190, including 29 sixes.

He smashed a 12-ball fifty for South Delhi Superstarz in their clash against Purani Delhi in the DPL 2025. Dahiya has played six T20s for Delhi and has 113 runs at a strike rate of 168.65. He has also scored 115 runs in two matches in List A cricket.

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