IPL Auction 2026 in Abu Dhabi: CSK buy Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma for Rs142m each; Rahman goes for Rs92m to KKR

CSK coach Stephen Fleming said they have been watching watching Kartik Sharma for some time and needed all-rounder like Prashant Veer after Ravindra Jadeja's trade to the Rajasthan Royals.

"Fair reflection, as the game evolved, we may have been slow to evolve with it. Halfway through tournament we made a big shift. Saw players we got in as reserves, with them there was a big shift in what we needed to do. We identified we needed to shift. Work we did halfway through has enabled us to continue that work now," Fleming told ESPNcricinfo.

"We've been watching Kartik for some time. He was with that last year. We needed that skillset of Prashant after the Jadeja trade," Fleming added.

Uncapped all-rounder Mangesh Yadav is bought by RCB for Rs52 million. The reigning champions make their second significant buy of the day after Venkatesh Iyer.

Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman will play for KKR next season. The left-arm pacer becomes the most-expensive Bangladesh player in IPL history with a massive fee of Rs 92 million.

Former India leg-spinner said, "I would like to see him play the opening slot for KKR. I think, in terms of a finisher, KKR already have a decent line-up. They have Rinku Singh, for instance," Kumble said on JioStar.

He also pointed out that KKR's struggles last season were not due to a lack of finishing options.

"I don't think they utilised their resources well last season. If you compare it to the season when they won the trophy, it was a similar kind of line-up," he said.

"Yes, of course, Shreyas Iyer, the skipper, was missing and Mitchell Starc, the key fast bowler, was also missing," he added.

Highlighting KKR's batting depth, Kumble added, "However, if you look at the kind of batting depth they had -- Ramandeep Singh, Rovman Powell and Rinku Singh; these are all capable and experienced batters who can operate in the No. 5, No. 6, finisher roles. So I feel, they don't need a Cameron Green to do that job."

The former India captain suggested that Green should bat higher up the order.

"I would rather see him at the top of the order, either opening or at No. 3, depending on where Ajinkya Rahane wants to bat. Sunil Narine could drop down to No. 6 or No. 7 or even act as a floater," he explained.

Kumble also commented on Royal Challengers Bengaluru's signing of Venkatesh Iyer, who was snapped up by the defending champions for Rs 7 crore after a bidding battle with KKR, similar to last year's auction.

"Venkatesh Iyer is a smart buy for RCB -- we spotted him in yesterday's mock auction too," he said.

He believes the left-hander will suit RCB's setup well.

"IPL is months away, so RCB needs reliable backups. Despite KKR's poor utilisation last season, his left-handed batting will thrive at Chinnaswamy," Kumble added.

Rajasthan Royals buys mystery spinner Vignesh Puthur at his base price of Rs3 million

Uncapped all-rounder Prashant Veer bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 142 million making him the most expesnive uncapped player in IPL auction history.

Karthik Sharma also goes to CSK for Rs142 million.

Kashmir's Aquib Dar has become the costliest Indian in this auction at Rs 84 million to Delhi Capitals. He began with a base price of Rs3 million.

Ravi Bishnoi is sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs72 million. Bishnoi, who plays for Rajasthan in domestic cricket and also hails from the state, will surely feel at home at RR.

KKR buy Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana for Rs180 million making him the most expensive Sri Lankan sold in an IPL auction.

Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants were involved in the battle in the initial stage before backing out.

Venkatesh Iyer was snapped up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally for Rs70 million. KKR also showed interest in Iyer but withdrew from the contest. Surprisingly Indian batters Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan went unsold.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi witnessed a fierce bidding war as Australian all-rounder Cameron Green was eventually snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a staggering Rs252 million. With this deal, Green became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history.

KKR outbid Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after an intense duel before finally securing the 26-year-old, who surpassed compatriot Mitchell Starc’s previous record of Rs247.5 million, set during the IPL 2024 auction.

Green has already proven his versatility in the IPL, delivering impactful performances across batting positions while also contributing with the ball when fit. Although he missed the previous auction cycle due to injury, his blend of explosive batting, athletic fielding, and seam-bowling depth makes him one of the most sought-after all-rounders in the tournament.

Earlier in the auction, David Miller was the only player sold, with a total of 369 players set to go under the hammer on the day. Three-time champions KKR, with a purse of Rs643.0 million, and CSK, holding Rs434.0 million, are expected to be among the biggest spenders. Other marquee names likely to attract hefty bids include Venkatesh Iyer, Liam Livingstone, and Ravi Bishnoi.