Even though the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction took place in December last year, the player market remains far from closed. While all the ten teams have nailed down their 25-man squads for IPL 2026, a pool of more than 1,300 cricketers, including established international names, is now officially available as replacement options.
The BCCI has circulated a list of 1,307 players to all franchises under what is formally known as the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP). According to Cricbuzz, this list consists of players who registered for the December 16 auction in Abu Dhabi but went unsold and did not withdraw from the process. Any franchise hit by injuries, unavailability or late withdrawals during the season can tap into this pool.
Among the standout names are Steve Smith, Jonny Bairstow, Reece Topley and Jamie Smith. Smith’s presence is particularly striking given his recent form in the Big Bash League, where he scored 299 runs in six innings at a strike rate close to 168, including a 41-ball century, one of the fastest hundreds in BBL history. He also gives a captaincy pedigree as well. Having already stated his desire to play the T20 format at the LA Olympics 2028, Smith sits on the RAPP list as a potential mid-season IPL reinforcement.
Can any IPL 2026 team replicate CSK of IPL 2025?
The greatest replacement signing in IPL history remains with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) when they brought in Chris Gayle to replace Dirk Nannes in IPL 2011. However, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were extremely lucky with their replacements too. Despite a horrible year and finishing at the bottom of the table, CSK signed three superb talents in Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel and Ayush Mhatre as replacements. Now, the three form a superb top-order that has been bolstered by the addition of Sanju Samson as well.
The RAPP list for IPL 2026 also features several capped Indian players who have been regulars in the IPL over the years. Mayank Agarwal, KS Bharat, Deepak Hooda, Navdeep Saini, Chetan Sakariya, Sandeep Warrier and Umesh Yadav are all part of the pool, each with a reserve price of INR 75 lakh. Daryl Mitchell, who recently starred against India in the ODI series against New Zealand, is also available, listed with a base price of INR 2 crore.
Under BCCI regulations, franchises cannot sign a replacement player for less than the reserve price declared at the auction. Teams often bring RAPP players in as net bowlers, but the board has made it clear that such arrangements do not give franchises any priority rights. If another team wants to sign that player as an official replacement, the player must be released immediately.
IPL 2026 will run from March 26 to May 31, following the conclusion of the men’s T20 World Cup in early March. For the second consecutive year, the tournament will clash with the Pakistan Super League, increasing the likelihood of last-minute replacements due to scheduling conflicts.
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