Now that the auction has concluded, the Most Expensive Players in IPL 2026 auction stand as clear indicators of franchise priorities and bold investments.

After intense bidding battles, these players emerged with record-breaking price tags, reflecting their recent performances, skill sets, and ability to influence matches.

The Most Expensive Players in the IPL 2026 auction have already become major talking points, setting expectations high as teams look ahead to the upcoming IPL season.

BCCI has shortlisted a total of 369 players who went under the hammer during the IPL 2026 auction.

The IPL 2026 auction was held on December 16, where all the franchises filled their remaining slot for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.

After intense bidding, the IPL 2026 squad has taken shape, combining proven performers with exciting new talent

Most Expensive Players in IPL 2026 Auction

According to the IPL 2026 rules released by BCCI, overseas players will be slapped with a two-year ban if they skip the tournament after being picked up in the mega auction.

As per the IPL committee rules, each franchise can have 25 players in its squad, out of which a maximum of 8 can be foreign players. In Playing 11, each team can have a maximum of 4 overseas players in the mix.

IPL 2026 Auction Top Buys

The most expensive players for each category during the IPL 2026 auction have been listed below.

IPL 2026 Auction Rules

As per the IPL 2026 Auction rules, the franchises have the advantage of retaining the majority of their players compared to the mega auction.

The auction rules will be updated once the official release from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

• Players who are eligible to register their names for the IPL 2026 auction should get NOC from their respective cricket board.
• BCCI will shortlist the eligible players from the overall registered players list and will announce the final list.
• BCCI will categorise the shortlisted players in various sets based on their specialism including capped/uncapped/Associate players.
• During the Auction, no franchise will be allowed to buy a player beyond their purse balance.
• Each team has to spend at least 75% of their total amount.
• Teams can retain up to 6 players, including a maximum of 5 capped players and 2 uncapped players.
• The number of players in each team should not exceed 25 while each squad should have a minimum of 18 players.
• According to the IPL Auction rules, each franchise can have 25 players in their squad, out of which a maximum of 8 can be foreign players. In Playing 11, each team can have a maximum of 4 overseas players in the mix.
• The auction price pool for each franchise will be INR 151 crore. In 2025, this price pool was INR 120 crore.