Mumbai, Dec 10 (IANS) With the auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 set to be held in Abu Dhabi on December 16, Australia will be missing their assistant coach during the Ashes series with England, as he will be flying to India to be with his franchise for the auction.

Daniel Vettori, who is also the coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, will miss the preparations for the third Test of the Ashes series because of the IPL auction. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the former New Zealand captain has sought permission from Cricket Australia (CA) to travel to Abu Dhabi in the middle of the Ashes.

Australia is currently leading the series 2-0, winning the second Test recently. The Australian public will also have its focus on the IPL auction, with many current and former Australian players involved in the IPL.

Cameron Green, who is expected to garner a lot of attention in this auction, tops the list of 19 Australians, with Josh Inglis, Matthew Short, Cooper Connolly, and Beau Webster being the other prominent names.

A total of 350 players are set to feature in the IPL 2026 mini auction on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, as the BCCI revealed the Player Auction list for the 2026 season on Tuesday.

A total of 1390 players registered for the Player Auction, out of which 350 players were shortlisted.

Of the 350 players shortlisted, 240 are Indian, and 110 are from overseas. The pool comprises 224 uncapped Indian players and 14 uncapped overseas players, adding significant depth and fresh talent to this year’s auction roster.

Franchises will compete for 77 available slots overall, including 31 spots reserved for overseas players.

As many as 40 players have listed themselves at the maximum base price of Rs 2 crore, with Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi being the only two Indians among them.

Earlier, a total of 173 players were retained across teams, including 49 overseas players. A combined purse of Rs 237.55 crore will be available at the auction for a total of 77 player slots.

–IANS

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