Which country has most players in IPL 2026 auction pool?
What's the story
The Indian Premier League (IPL) will hold its next mini-auction on December 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi. A total of 1,355 players had registered for this year's mini-auction ahead of the IPL 2026 season. However, the list has been reduced to a final shortlist of 359 by the organizers. Out of these shortlisted players, India leads with a whopping 244 representatives.
Overseas players
Australia and England lead overseas representation
Australia and England are the top two countries in terms of overseas player representation for IPL 2026. Australia has 21 players on the final shortlist while England has a slightly higher count with 22. Other countries with significant representation include New Zealand and South Africa, each contributing 16 players to this year's auction pool.
Additional participants
Other countries' representation in IPL 2026 auction
Apart from the major cricketing nations, other countries have also made their mark in the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Afghanistan has sent 10 players to the shortlist while Bangladesh has seven. Sri Lanka is represented by 12 players and West Indies by nine. Josh Little from Ireland and Virandeep Singh from Malaysia are the only representatives from their respective countries in this year's auction pool.
Details
More details about the auction
Each team has to fill up to 77 squad spots, including a maximum of 31 for foreign picks, making the auction highly competitive. The order will be batters, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, fast bowlers and spinners, followed by a round of uncapped players. The IPL 2026 auction will start at 1:00pm UAE time (2:30pm IST) on December 16. The highest base price for this year's auction is ₹2 crore, with a total of 40 players registering in this category.