Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi has become the costliest Indian in this auction at Rs 8.40 crore for DC. The 29-year-old Jammu & Kashmir pacer has been one of the breakthrough performers in Indian domestic cricket over the past year. In the first five matches, J&K have won three, with Aquib playing a key role.
He has taken 11 wickets, the most for his team, at an average of 13.54, a strike rate of 10.27, and an economy of 7.91. His best figures of 4/16 came against Bihar. He can also be handy with the bat.
About IPL Mini Auction
A total of 359 players – 246 Indians and 113 overseas players will be part of the IPL 2026 auction pool with the 10 franchises bidding to fill up a maximum of 77 slots, including 31 reserved for foreign players. As per the IPL rules, each team can register a maximum squad size of 25. The number of overseas players is eight. The IPL 2026 auction will also introduce a salary cap for overseas players.
The maximum fee payable will be the lower of two figures – the highest retention price (₹18 crore) or the highest bid from the previous mega auction. In a mini-auction defined by scarcity, franchises will pay not for reputation, but for fit and those holding the purse strings know it. The Indian Premier League 2026 will start on March 26 and go on till May 31. There will be 74 matches for this season
