The IPL auction of 2026 which was highly anticipated is now very near, just a few days away. The auction will be held on 16th December in Abu Dhabi.
The upcoming auction will be mini auction though the last auction was a mega one. Still, the event will have no lack of star power. Reports say that Shreyas Iyer, the Indian star, will be representing the Kings Punjab at the auction.
The IPL franchises had December 10 as the last day for notifying BCCI regarding their representatives’ names for the auction. As per the report of Cricbuzz, Punjab Kings have also included the name of their captain Shreyas Iyer in the list. As per the current rules, a maximum of eight team members can be inside the auction hall while an extra six are allowed outside.
Currently, Shreyas Iyer is suffering from an injury and was not a part of the three-match ODI series against South Africa earlier this month. For a few weeks now, he has not appeared in any competitive games since the conclusion of the ODI series in Australia.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting will probably not be at the auction table. The ex-Australian captain is working with the Seven Network in Australia for the Ashes commentary and the third Test starts the next day – 17th December in Adelaide.
Moreover, Punjab Kings might not be very aggressive in the auction this year. They have most of the players retained in the squad and only have INR 11.5 crore left in the purse. They can recruit four players that include two overseas players maximum.
Shreyas Iyer’s top notch captaincy
Shreyas Iyer came to Punjab Kings before the 2025 season and made a good impression immediately. Leading his team from the front, he brought Punjab Kings up to the final for the first time since 2014. Iyer’s batting was also notable as he ended the tournament as his team’s top scorer.
He racked up 604 runs, hitting 6 fifties in 17 matches. Iyer will be very much trying to lead his team to its first IPL title in the next season
