IPL Auction 2026: Why IPL Auctions Are No Longer Fair for Young Talent?

The IPL auction 2026 is less than a week away. The highly-awaited event will take place on December 16 in UAE. 359 players will be in fray during the auction this year.

While more than 1300 players had initially registered for the auction, 359 players were eventually shortlisted. A maximum of 77 players including 31 overseas players can be bought at the IPL auction this year. With the IPL auction just around the corner, we are taking a look at why the IPL auctions are no longer fair for young talent.

Also Read: IPL 2026 Auction: Domestic Performers Who Deserve ₹5+ Crore Deals

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Why IPL Auctions Are No Longer Fair for Young Talent?

Teams going for established names:

There is little denying the fact that IPL is not a tournament where teams would like to nurture talents. The teams pay hefty amounts to sign players and they would like to get instant result for their investment. Unsurprisingly, the teams prefer to go for established players and avoid young names. The auction usually rewards past performance and it makes things only tougher for the youngsters.

Inconsistent scouting and trials:

Some IPL teams are really famous for their scouting system. The rise of players such as Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah is very much a result of Mumbai Indians' good scouting system. Interestingly, Mumbai Indians managed to buy both the players cheaply. However, not all the IPL teams have such good scouting system and the young players usually fail to get noticed. Even if they do get noticed by one or two teams, they are unlikely to earn big in the auction.

No hype for young players:

Unless the young players produces something genuinely exceptional, there’s no real hype around them. And one has seen that the IPL auctions are driven by perception over the years. Even Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who took the IPL by storm last year, did not cause a bidding war in the IPL auction. So, to earn a lucrative contract in the IPL auction, the young players need to create some hype with their performance.