The IPL 2025 Auction was full of exciting picks made by all 10 teams. Teams broke their bank for players like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Venkatesh Iyer. These three were the most expensive players at the auction table.
Pant went to Lucknow Super Giants for a price of INR 27 crore. Punjab Kings spent INR 26.75 crore for Iyer, while Kolkata Knight Riders made a bid of INR 23.75 crore for Venkatesh Iyer.
There won’t be a mega auction in the upcoming season of IPL in 2026, and the 10 teams will gather to pick players in the mini auction. We have seen teams shelling out huge sums of money at the mini auction in the past, and the same might happen in the IPL mini auction 2026.
IPL Teams Targeting Players In Mini Auction 2026
Here are the players that the 10 teams might target during the IPL mini auction 2026:
1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai Super Kings didn’t have a decent outing in IPL 2025 as they managed to win just four games out of 14 and finished in last place. Obviously, it would be expected that CSK will have to do a lot of work at the auction table. However, that might not be the case considering the things the five-time champions did during the second half of the league.
They called the likes of Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, and Urvil Patel as replacements. This strengthened their batting unit, and they might have a chance to retain all three of them. If that happens, CSK might come into the auction to pick a few overseas all-rounders who can act as finishers and bowlers.
The players that CSK can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Mitchell Owen
- Cameron Green
- Donovan Ferreira
- Sanju Samson (trade)
- Mark Wood
- Gerald Coetzee
- William O’Rourke
2. Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Rajasthan Royals, the winner of the inaugural edition of the league, finished in second-last position in 2025 with four wins to their name. The Royals showed faith in a player like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and he piled up a lot of records to his name. There were a number of things that went wrong for the franchise.
There are reports that Sanju Samson might be traded before the IPL mini auction 2026. In case that happens, the duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav can open the innings, and Dhruv Jurel can keep the wickets. One of the major issues that the Royals had was the underwhelming performances of the bowlers.
The bowlers managed to take just 68 wickets throughout the season, which was the least among the 10 franchises. They conceded 10 or more runs per over in eight out of 14 matches. The bowlers had a bowling average of 40.77, which was the highest in the season. Obviously, the team might look to pick a few bowlers during the auction.
The players that RR can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- T Natarajan
- Mohammed Shami
- Cameron Green
- Alzarri Joseph
- Jason Behrendorff
- Tanveer Sangha
3. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
After winning the title in 2024, the Kolkata Knight Riders failed to even qualify for the playoffs. They won five out of 14 games last season and finished in 8th position. The bowlers picked a total of 81 wickets in the season, and KKR were seventh on this list of the teams with the most wickets in the season. The batters scored 9.14 runs per over, which was the second-lowest among the 10 teams.
KKR needs an opener like Phil Salt in the playing 11 and a batter like Shreyas Iyer in the middle order. They might target wicketkeepers, openers, and all-rounders during the auction.
The players that KKR can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Alex Carey
- Jamie Smith
- Cameron Green
- Ben Duckett
- Tom Banton
- Ben Stokes
- Mohammed Shami
4. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
The Lucknow Super Giants managed six wins in 14 games and finished in seventh place. The batters, barring Rishabh Pant, were in extremely good form throughout the season. The team suffered most at the start of their campaign due to the injuries that the bowlers sustained at the start of the league.
They might look to add a few overseas pacers to the squad. The spin department looks settled as the team already has three options in the form of Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, and Digvesh Rathi.
The players that LSG can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Matt Henry
- Kyle Jamieson
- Jayden Seales
- Gerald Coetzee
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Sunrisers Hyderabad, the finalists from the 2024 season, finished in sixth place in 2025 with six wins to their name in 14 matches. The team didn’t have many issues last season. They had one of the best batting lineups among the 10 teams. The bowling unit consisted of the Indian bowlers like Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, and Mohammad Shami.
SRH need a batter in the middle order who can play the anchor role. The entire batting philosophy of SRH revolved around playing attacking cricket. It worked in 2024 but didn’t in 2025. SRH badly missed Aiden Markram in the middle order last season.
The players that SRH can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Cameron Green
- Rilee Rossouw
- Michael Bracewell
- K.S. Bharat
6. Delhi Capitals (DC)
Delhi Capitals had a great start to their campaign but lost the plot in the second half. They won five out of the first seven matches, and it almost looked like they might make it to the playoffs. However, they managed just two wins in the last seven outings and finished in fifth place.
All the DC needs is an opener who can provide fiery starts in the power play. They have players in the middle order who can utilise that start and take the team to a decent total. The openers had a batting average of 21.78 last season, which was the lowest among the 10 teams. The bowlers were at the top of their mark last season.
The players that DC can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Mayank Agarwal
- Daniel Sams
- Finn Allen
- Adil Rashid
- Kyle Jamieson
7. Mumbai Indians (MI)
The Mumbai Indians had a rollercoaster ride last season. They won just a single game out of the first five and were at the bottom of the table. Jasprit Bumrah missed the first four games out of these five. MI won seven of the next nine matches and finished in fourth place.
They defeated the Gujarat Titans in the eliminator but lost to the Punjab Kings in the second qualifier and were eliminated. MI can look to add a few spinners to the squad during the mini auction.
The players that MI can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Mohammad Nabi
- Krishnappa Gowtham
- Michael Bracewell
- Rushil Ugarkar
8. Gujarat Titans (GT)
Gujarat Titans had one of their best campaigns in 2025. The first three batters, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler, were in terrific form and scored a bulk of runs for the team. However, because of this, the middle order didn’t get many chances to test their skills.
When Buttler left before the Eliminator game against MI, the middle order got a chance to finish the game. However, that didn’t happen as GT lost the match by 20 runs. GT needs a middle-order batter who can pile up runs on any given day.
The players that GT can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Ben Duckett
- Rassie van der Dussen
- Cameron Green
- Ravi Smaran
- Tushar Raheja
9. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a dream run in 2025 as they lifted the trophy for the first time in 18 years. Most of the things that RCB did last season worked in their favour. RCB won nine out of 14 games and finished in second position.
RCB can look to add a player to the squad with power-hitting abilities. This player can come in the playing 11 in place of Liam Livingstone. A bowling all-rounder can also be included in the lower middle order in the playing 11.
The players that RCB can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Shardul Thakur
- Mark Wood
- Jhye Richardson
- Ben McDermott
10. Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Punjab Kings under Shreyas Iyer played a different brand of cricket and were highly successful. They finished in first place with nine wins to their name in 14 games.
PBKS might target a wicketkeeper-batter who can bat in the middle order and has finishing skills. They might also target players who can dominate spinners. They might even add a few bowlers to the squad as a backup option.
The players that PBKS can target during the IPL mini auction 2026 are:
- Steve Smith
- Tom Curran
- Nandre Burger
- Tim Seifert
- Gulbadin Naib
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