Australian Nikhil Chaudhary sneaks into IPL 2026 auction as ‘uncapped Indian’: Here’s how it was made possible
Published - 09 Dec 2025, 05:53 PM | Updated - 09 Dec 2025, 05:54 PM
Nikhil Chaudhary has become one of the most talked-about names ahead of the IPL 2026 auction after registering as an Indian domestic cricketer. The all-rounder, who plays first-class cricket and the Big Bash League in Australia, has been officially listed as an uncapped Indian for the upcoming mini-auction.
The IPL governing council has confirmed the final list of players for the December 16 auction in Abu Dhabi, shortlisting 350 names for teams to bid on. With all ten franchises preparing for the new season, the auction will serve as a key opportunity for them to address squad gaps and strengthen their line-ups.
Several Big Names Creating Buzz Ahead Of The IPL Auction
Several big names, including Cameron Green, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Jamie Smith, and Quinton de Kock, are creating buzz ahead of the IPL auction.
The auction will start with capped players, grouped by their roles. These groups include batters, all-rounders, wicketkeeper-batters, fast bowlers, and spin bowlers. After that, the auction will move to uncapped players in the same order.
Cameron Green will open the first set of batters, along with Devon Conway, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sarfaraz Khan, Prithvi Shaw, and David Miller. Venkatesh Iyer has been placed in the first list of names in the all-rounders section.
According to the schedule, the accelerated part of the auction will begin after Player No. 70, who is Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran. The auction is a one-day event, unlike the mega auction.
Nikhil Chaudhary Named As An Uncapped Indian All-Rounder In The IPL 2026 Auction
Nikhil Chaudhary is named as an uncapped Indian all-rounder in the IPL 2026 auction. His inclusion surprised many fans, especially since he has been playing full-time domestic cricket overseas, including the Big Bash League.
Nikhil Chaudhary is eligible because he began his career in India. He made his List A and T20 debuts for Punjab back in 2017 before moving to Australia in 2020. His state association is still officially listed as the Punjab Cricket Association, which allows him to register as an Indian player.
The 29-year-old Nikhil Chaudhary has represented the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, scoring 386 runs and taking nine wickets across 20 matches. He has also been part of Tasmania’s first-class setup.
Nikhil Chaudhary is only the second Indian-origin cricketer to feature in the BBL after Unmukt Chand. Notably, the BCCI does not allow active Indian players to take part in overseas leagues unless they have fully retired from Indian cricket.
More Details About The Indian Premier League 2026 Mini Auction
The ten IPL franchises will compete for 77 squad vacancies in the upcoming auction, including 31 slots for overseas players. Out of 1390 initial registrations, the IPL governing council shortlisted 350 players, including 240 Indians and 110 overseas cricketers.
A total of 224 uncapped Indian players and 14 uncapped overseas players will enter the auction. Forty players have chosen the highest base-price category of INR 2 crore.
The auction will take place on Tuesday, December 16, starting at 2:30 PM IST, giving teams one final opportunity to strengthen their squads after declaring their retained players earlier this year.
Also read: Shahid Afridi slams Gautam Gambhir while praising Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
About the Author
Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla...
