IPL Mini Auction 2026: In-form Shaw, Sarfaraz go unsold

Kolkata Knight Riders made the biggest splash of the Indian Premier League 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, shelling out a record Rs 25.20 crore to secure Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. However, the day also produced a few surprises, with Indian batters Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan failing to attract any bids.

Despite being in decent domestic form, Shaw went unsold even after setting a modest base price of Rs 75 lakh. The 26-year-old has featured in 79 IPL matches, scoring close to 1,900 runs at an average of 24, including 14 half-centuries. After spending seven seasons with Delhi Capitals, Shaw was released, with the franchise seemingly unconvinced by his attempts at a comeback.

Following a switch in domestic cricket from Mumbai to Maharashtra, Shaw enjoyed a solid run in the Ranji Trophy, amassing 470 runs in five matches at an impressive average of 67, highlighted by a double century. He also had a fair outing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring two fifties against Bihar and Hyderabad. Even so, none of the franchises showed interest during the main rounds of the auction. That said, Shaw’s IPL journey may not be over yet, as teams could still consider picking him up at a lower price in the accelerated rounds.

Also Read: IPL Mini Auction 2026: Cameron Green becomes IPL’s costliest overseas player, goes to KKR for 25.20 crore

Another notable omission was Sarfaraz Khan, who also remained unsold despite strong performances in domestic T20 cricket. The 28-year-old, who entered the auction with a base price of Rs 75 lakh, failed to find a buyer for the second consecutive year. This came even as Sarfaraz continued to impress in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai.

On Tuesday alone, Sarfaraz smashed a rapid 73 off 22 balls and followed it up with a blistering 15-ball half-century against Rajasthan in the Super League stage - the fastest fifty ever recorded by a Mumbai batter in the tournament. Over the past two weeks, he has scored his maiden T20 century along with two more fifties, including knocks off just 18 and 15 balls.

Despite these eye-catching performances, Sarfaraz went under the hammer in the marquee set of the IPL 2026 auction without drawing any interest from franchises, underlining how domestic form alone was not enough to secure an IPL contract this time around.