Unsold last year, Prithvi Shaw returns to IPL 2026 auction on back of strong domestic form

Maharashtra batter and former India opener Prithvi Shaw has been included in the final list of players for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, to be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16.

Shaw, who went unsold in last year's auction, is aiming for a comeback on the back of strong domestic performances. He has been listed with a base price of ₹75 lakh, alongside Sarfaraz Khan, who was also left unsold in the last auction. 

The 26-year-old has had an impressive Ranji Trophy season, scoring 470 runs so far for Maharashtra, including a 72-ball 200 against Chandigarh. He also led Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and has scored a 23-ball half-century, a testament to his power-hitting abilities. 

Shaw's return to form follows a difficult phase marked by disciplinary and fitness concerns. He was dropped from the Mumbai Ranji squad midway through the 2024 season and went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. Once regarded as the future of Indian cricket, he has not played for the team since 2021. 

However, following his switch to Maharashtra, he has shown promising performances and is hoping for an IPL stint after his last appearance for Delhi Capitals in 2024, where he played 8 matches. 

In the auction, a total of 350 cricketers- 240 Indians and 110 overseas players- will go under the hammer, including South Africa’s Quinton de Kock, who recently came out of ODI retirement. He features in the final list with a base price of ₹1 crore. Australia batter Steve Smith, listed at a base price of ₹2 crore, is also among the names. Smith last appeared in the IPL in 2021.

The final shortlist comes after 1,390 players initially registered for the auction. That number was trimmed to 1,005 before being reduced to 350, who will now compete for 77 slots across the 10 franchises in the 19th edition of the tournament.

The list shared by the IPL features two Australians in Cameron Green and Jake Fraser-McGurk, along with New Zealand and former Chennai Super Kings opener Devon Conway and South Africa’s David Miller, with each of them keeping a base price of ₹2 crore. Venkatesh Iyer, who Kolkata Knight Riders released, has listed himself at a base price of ₹2 crore.

Three-time winners KKR will go into the auction with the biggest purse of ₹64.3 crore, followed by five-time champions CSK with ₹43.4 crore. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have won the IPL once, have the third-highest purse of ₹25.5 crore.