More than 1,300 players have registered for the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction, turning the December 16 event in Abu Dhabi into one of the most competitive bidding days. According to a Cricbuzz report, a staggering 1,355 players feature on the 13-page auction register, reflecting a massive surge in both domestic and overseas aspirants eager to secure IPL contracts.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!From India, several well-known names such as Mayank Agarwal, KS Bharat, Rahul Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Mavi, Navdeep Saini, Chetan Sakariya, Kuldeep Sen, Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Tripathi, Sandeep Warrier and Umesh Yadav have thrown their hats into the ring. Only two Indians — Ravi Bishnoi and Venkatesh Iyer — have entered the auction with the highest base price of Rs 2 crore.
The overseas aspirants are equally star-studded. Australia’s Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Matthew Short have registered. England’s Jonny Bairstow, Jamie Smith, New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, and Sri Lankan stars Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana headline the long list of overseas entries. In all, 43 overseas players have set their base price at Rs 2 crore.The diversity of the list stands out, with players from 14 countries, including rare entries from Malaysia and the USA. Among them is India-born Malaysian all-rounder Virandeep Singh, listed at a base price of Rs 30 lakh.Following the November 15 retention deadline, the 10 IPL teams collectively hold Rs 237.55 crore to spend. Kolkata Knight Riders lead with a wallet of Rs 64.30 crore, followed by Chennai Super Kings with Rs 43.40 crore. A total of 77 slots, including 31 overseas places, will be up for grabs, ensuring a highly competitive and closely watched auction day.
