Cameron Green, Ravi Bishnoi and Venkatesh Iyer. These cricketers will be in high demand at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction. Since the franchises have retained most top players, those released could rake in big bucks. The objective for most franchises isn’t to build a proper unit but to plug in the gaps.
Despite the high demand to recreate an even stronger team, some big-name players will go unsold. InsideSport predicts who these could be.
5 star players who can go unsold at IPL 2026 auction
Sarfaraz Khan would perhaps be the only Indian star to go unsold. The 28-year-old hasn’t played in the IPL since 2023 and didn’t find any bidders in the last two auctions. He’s played just two T20 matches in 2025. He did score a hundred just a couple of days ago, but it was against Assam, one of the weaker domestic teams. His career stats, an average of 24.81 and a strike rate of 132.28, aren’t exactly great.
| Player | Country | Type | T20 stats (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarfaraz Khan | India | Batter | 152 runs (average 152 & strike rate 174.71) |
| Steve Smith | Australia | Batter | 137 runs (average 19.57 & strike rate 129.24) |
| Josh Inglis | Australia | Wicketkeeper Batter | 483 runs (average 26.83 & strike rate 164.84) |
| Devon Conway | New Zealand | Wicketkeeper Batter | 830 runs (average 30.74 & strike rate 122.78) |
| Daryl Mitchell | New Zealand | All-rounder | 779 runs (average 28.85 & strike rate 138.61) 6 wickets (average 36 & economy 10.45) |
Josh Inglis will be available for just 4 matches in IPL 2026. Although his base price of INR 2 crore isn’t that high, teams won’t want to look for replacements so early in the tournament. Devon Conway’s T20 prowess has been on the wane for the last couple of years. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have finally released him. With better attacking openers available, it’s unlikely that franchises will turn to him.
Steve Smith has gone unsold in the IPL auction for the last 4 years and hasn’t played a match in the league since 2021. Daryn Mitchell was paid INR 14 crore by the CSK in 2024, but his abysmal performance saw him get no suitors at the mega auction last year. Both are expected to go unsold again.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Will Gambhir try Rishabh Pant or Nitish Reddy in IND vs SA 3rd ODI with series on the line?
Top Stories
