The previous record bid for the most expensive uncapped Indian was INR 10 crore for fast bowler Avesh Khan in 2022.
Veer’s base price at the auction was INR 30 lakh but the bidding for him skyrocketed – it began between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) initially, followed by a battle between CSK and LSG, with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and eventually Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) joining in. At the time of the auction, Veer had played nine domestic T20s and his performances in the UP T20 League, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Uttar Pradesh’s Under-23 fixtures earned him a call up for trials with CSK.
After CSK had signed Veer for INR 14.2 crore from the set of uncapped allrounders, they bid aggressively for Kartik, whose base price was also INR 30 lakh, from the next set of uncapped wicketkeepers. Once again MI and LSG began the bidding, followed by battles between LSG and KKR, KKR and CSK, and eventually CSK and SRH, who once again dropped out once the bid reached INR 14.2 crore. Kartik, who has been signed up by JSW Sports, which manages several top athletes including the Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, is building a reputation as a lower-order finisher who can hit big sixes. In 12 T20s, Kartik has scored 334 runs at a strike rate of 164, hitting 28 sixes.
“As the game has evolved, we might have been a little bit slow to evolve with it. Only halfway through the tournament [IPL 2025] we had a big shift and you saw with the players we got in as reserves, there was a shift in what we needed to do. Sometimes you can hang on to theories and philosophies because of past success but we identified that we needed to shift and partly the work that we did last season halfway through has enabled us to continue that work done.
“We knew if we can get a strong core of local players I think your team’s in good shape, and sometimes you have to invest time in them and also money because what is happening is the scouting on numerous tournaments around India are becoming very important. So players are being watched and being studied and being bought with a view to perform in the way they’re performing now but also another eye on the future. The fact it can be life-changing is a very rewarding aspect for doing something that they love. But first and foremost they are bought for their skills and that’s what they’ve been identified as doing which is a celebration for them and their family.”
The first uncapped Indian player to go big at the IPL 2026 auction was Nabi, who was signed by DC after they fought off competition from RR, RCB and SRH. Unlike Veer and Sharma, the 29-year-old Nabi has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket over the past few seasons. In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, he has taken 15 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of under eight and has been a net bowler with KKR and SRH in the past.
“He’s done well in all formats, he’s somebody we believe that gives us an option up top, he can bat a bit, and there’s a reason why he’s gone for that [high] price,” DC head coach Hemang Badani said. “And only when someone else is bidding against us can someone go up to 8-8.5 crores. So, that tells you that this kid has something in him, like a Prashant Veer has or a Karthik Sharma has. There’s a reason why people go up to 12 or 14 crores. One kid doesn’t go up to that price unless there’s a bidding war. A lot of the younger boys are coming through and Auqib Nabi is one of those we feel will go forward. We believe he’s a good bowler for us.”
Yadav’s bidding was between RCB and SRH, and his bid rose from his base price of INR 30 lakh to INR 5.2 crore, at which point SRH dropped out. Yadav has played only two domestic T20s, scoring 28 runs off 12 balls and taking three wickets, but made a strong impression in the Madhya Pradesh Premier League.
