IPL 2026 Auction - Jake Fraser-McGurk & Devon Conway Go Unsold
The IPL 2026 auction (held in December 2025) was a brutal reminder that reputation doesn't always guarantee a paycheck. While young uncapped Indians like Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma broke records with ₹14.20 crore deals, several established international stars and IPL veterans walked away without a team.
Here is the breakdown of the most notable players who went unsold in the 2026 auction.
High-Profile Overseas Stars (Unsold)
Devon Conway (NZ): Perhaps the biggest shock. A consistent performer for CSK in previous years, he found no takers at a ₹2 crore base price.
Jake Fraser-McGurk (AUS): The young sensation who lit up the previous season was expected to be a hot commodity but went unsold at ₹2 crore.
Jonny Bairstow (ENG): The aggressive opener and wicketkeeper failed to attract bids at ₹1 crore.
Daryl Mitchell (NZ): A versatile all-rounder who usually commands big bucks but stayed unsold at ₹2 crore.
Maheesh Theekshana (SL) & Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG): Both "mystery" spinners (Base: ₹2 crore) were sidelined as teams focused on Indian spin options like Ravi Bishnoi and Rahul Chahar.
Gerald Coetzee (SA): Despite his raw pace, he went unsold at ₹2 crore.
Alzarri Joseph (WI): The express pacer found no bidders at his ₹2 crore base price.
Gus Atkinson (ENG): The English speedster (Base: ₹2 crore) was another surprising omission.
Notable Indian Players (Unsold)
Deepak Hooda: A regular in the Indian T20 setup and an LSG veteran, he went unsold at ₹75 lakh.
Yash Dhull: Despite a massive domestic season (DPL 2025), the former U-19 captain found no buyers at ₹30 lakh.
Akash Madhwal: The MI standout from 2023 was a surprising snub at ₹30 lakh.
Chetan Sakariya: The left-arm pacer, known for his death bowling, went unsold at ₹75 lakh.
Abhinav Manohar: Despite a strike rate of 160+ in recent domestic leagues, he went unpicked at ₹30 lakh.
KS Bharat: The experienced wicketkeeper-batter (Base: ₹75 lakh) didn't find a spot.
Mahipal Lomror: The former RCB finisher was not picked at his ₹50 lakh base price.
Full List of Other Unsold Players
Atharva Taide
Anmolpreet Singh
Manan Vohra
Sediqullah Atal
Arya Desai
Swastik Chikara
Michael Bracewell
Sean Abbott
Dasun Shanaka
Wiaan Mulder
Vijay Shankar
Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Spencer Johnson
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Taskin Ahmed
Waqar Salamkheil
Murugan Ashwin
KC Cariappa
Kamlesh Nagarkoti
Jamie Smith
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Vansh Bedi
Tushar Raheja
Note: A few players like Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan initially went unsold but were picked up in the "Accelerated Round" by Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings respectively.