By Tanisha Mohanty
In a record-smashing IPL auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Chennai Super Kings splurged on uncapped players, spinner Prashant Veer and batter-wicketkeeper Kartik Sharma with Rs 14.2 cr each– the highest bid on uncapped players in IPL history. However, the highest bid went to Kolkata Knight Riders, who bid Rs 25.2 crores for Cameron Green.
20-year-old Veer’s performance at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy grabbed the CSK’s attention as they needed to replace Jadeja in some form. On the other hand, Sharma had been trialing with the Chennai team for some time. His clean striking and centuries in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy caught eyes. Both players hail from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan respectively.
Despite their base price being 30 lakhs, CSK signed the youngsters with tough competition from the other teams. The former record for an uncapped player was held by Avesh Khan at Rs 10 crore by Lucknow Super Giants.
Projected to attract huge bids, Australian all-rounder Cameron Green’s bidding war was another highlight of the day. KKR spent over 25 crores to buy the third most expensive player– and the costliest foreign player– in the tournament’s history. This surpasses the record what KKR paid for Mitchell Starc in 2024.
The Aussie has played for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in previous IPL editions. While he missed last year’s tournament owing to a back injury, the Aussie has medical clearance for the 2026 season.
Amongst other buys, KKR also bagged Sri Lankan fast-bowler Matheesha Pathirana for another Rs 18 crores. Pacer Auqib Nabi Dar was another uncapped player bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.4 crores. After an eminent and memorable IPL auction, the 2026 edition will begin in March.