A controversy erupted ahead of the IPL 2026 auction after nine late-added players were suddenly removed from the final list. With no statement from the IPL committee, questions remain over a glitch or deliberate move as 350 players vie for 77 slots.
Ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction, the controversy has been sparked after nine players, who were belatedly added to the list, were removed from the final auction roster on Saturday, December 13. The mini-IPL auction will get underway in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16, with all 10 franchises aiming to strengthen their squads by targeting their key players ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
With a total of INR 237.55 crore among all 10 franchises and 77 slots to fill, teams are expected to trigger intense bidding wars for their targeted players and bolster their squads for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Kolkata Knight Riders will head into the Abu Dhabi auction with the highest purse of INR 64.30 crore, followed by Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, who have a purse of INR 43.4 crore and 22.95 crore, respectively.
Mumbai Indians have the tightest purse of INR 2.75 crore, limiting their spending options and forcing them to focus on strategic, value-for-money picks in the upcoming auction.
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9 Players Vanished from IPL Auction List
Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, the committee released a list of 350 players, including 240 Indian cricketers and 110 overseas players, who will go under the hammer. However, nine players were later added to the list, increasing the number of players to 359, including 246 Indian cricketers and 113 overseas players, including one Indian-origin player.
Just a few days before the much-anticipated Abu Dhabi Auction, nine players were quietly removed from the auction, sparking controversy. The six Indian players removed from the list were Mani Sankar Mura Singh, Chama Milind, K.L. Shrijith, Swastik Chikara, Rahul Raj Namala, and Virat Singh, all of whom were listed as uncapped players at a base price of INR 30 lakh each.
The overseas players include Virandeep Singh, a Malaysian all-rounder who was the only associate player listed at the auction, and had a base price of INR 30 lakh, and South Africa’s Eathan Bosch and Australia’s Chris Green, both having an INR 75 lakh base price each, who were all unexpectedly removed from the final auction list.
All nine players were late additions to the auction list ahead of the Abu Dhabi event, but their names were quietly deleted just days before the auction, sparking confusion and speculation among franchises and fans about the reasons behind the move.
Glitch or Deliberate Move Behind Late Additions Removal?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) committee has not issued any official statement regarding the removal of nine belatedly added players to the auction list, which saw the roster briefly expand to 359 players before reverting to 350, leaving the sudden exclusion unexplained ahead of the Abu Dhabi auction.
It is unclear whether it was a technical glitch or a last-minute move by the IPL committee, with no explanation yet provided for the sudden removal of the nine players from the auction list. Also, it is uncertain whether all 10 franchises were informed of nine players from the auction list ahead of the Abu Dhabi event, or if the decision was taken unilaterally by the IPL authorities, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the late changes to the auction roster.
After the removal of nine players from the list, the upcoming IPL 2026 Auction will take place with 350 players going under the hammer for 77 available slots, as the franchises will look to strengthen their squads amid lingering questions over the late changes to the auction list.
It remains to be seen whether the IPL committee issues a clarification on the circumstances that led to the late addition and sudden removal of the nine players from the auction list.
