Top 5 steal deals in IPL 2026 Auction

The Mini-Auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 took place on Tuesday, December 16 in Abu Dhabi, and fans across the world were hooked on to their screens to witness their favourite players go under the hammer, while their favourite franchises splurged their purse on a mixture of talented and experienced cricketers. The dynamics of the auction make it a very interesting event, as the teams do not blindly spend on reputed players, but stick to their strategies, so that they can build a team around their retained core, with one simple aim of lifting the prized silverware.

This season’s auction was no different as 77 players in total were bought collectively by the ten teams, spending an aggregated amount of INR 215.45 crore, which is massive. Cameron Green (INR 25.20 crore) and Matheesha Pathirana (INR 18.00 crore) were the most expensive players to be sold, both going to KKR. However, there were some strong performers, who were brought very cheaply, ending in a steal deal for the sides. CricTracker lists down a few names today.

Here are 5 steal deals of the IPL 2026 Auction

5. Rachin Ravindra (by KKR for INR 2.00 crore)

Rachin Ravindra, the all-rounder from New Zealand, was released by Chennai Super Kings, after the cricketer spent a couple of seasons with them. Across 18 matches for CSK, Ravindra made 413 runs at a slightly underwhelming average of 24.29 and did not pick a single wicket — one of the main reasons behind his release. As a result, he entered the auction pool at a base price of INR 2.00 crore.

In the set of marquee players, the opening round, no one showed interest in the BlackCaps cricketer, as he was transferred to the accelerated round. There, though, it was the Kolkata Knight Riders, being the only side to raise the paddle. As a result, he became theirs for a sweet deal, going at his base amount. With his abilities to bat at dynamic positions and bowl some left-arm spin, he might be of great help to KKR.