Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin praised Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for their smart signings at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction, highlighting the acquisitions of Vihaan Malhotra and Kanishk Chouhan at Rs 30 Lakhs each.
Of the 77 players signed at the auction, 35 of them were uncapped Indians, and one among them was the highly rated all-rounder Mangesh Yadav, who was snapped up by defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a hefty sum of Rs 5.2 crore (Rs 52 million).
As teams prepare for the IPL 2026 auction on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, the spotlight has unexpectedly shifted from potential signings to the big names who won't be part of the season
She considers Australia the best women's cricket team in the world right now but Ashleigh Gardner is also spooked by the fact that recently crowned ODI world champions India are well on their way to become a "very hard to beat" side in the coming decade.
Ellyse Perry played a crucial role in RCB's maiden WPL title triumph last year, scoring 347 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 125.72, while picking up seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.81.
Fans on social media accused Gautam Gambhir of favouritism, questioning Ayush Badoni's inclusion given his modest List A record.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his disappointment at the potential exit of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja from Chennai Super Kings (CSK), saying that the move is "very unlike CSK", a franchise whose "identity was stability and trust in players".
Mandhana had led RCB to the WPL triumph last year, the team's first title in franchise cricket.
In absence of Pooja, RCB handed the responsibility of bowling to new recruits -- England left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, Arundhati Reddy and de Klerk as they managed to keep the opponents to 154-6.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav would want the attacking batter in him to front up and bolster his leadership against New Zealand when the five-match T20I series gets underway in Nagpur on Wednesday, serving as a final dress rehearsal for India's World Cup title defence in less than three weeks' time.
The JioStar expert also analysed KKR's buys at the auction, saying that getting NZ all-rounder Rachin Ravindra at base price was smart and there is "serious batting power" in the squad.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday announced the appointment of New Zealand cricket legend Tim Southee as the team's bowling coach for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Leading international cricketers, including Laura Wolvaardt and India's World Cup hero Deepti Sharma, will go under the hammer at the Women's Premier League auction in Delhi on Thursday, with bidding wars also expected for homegrown Kranti Gaud and Shree Charani.
IPL For perhaps the first time in IPL history, the Ambanis watched an auction slip away not because of choice, but because of cash.
'India gave me its heart first. So India will always have mine.'
Seasoned South African opener Quinton de Kock returned to his old base Mumbai Indians for a base price of Rs 1 crore.
Spending more than US$3 million (Rs 28.40 crore) and nearly 60 percent of their purse on players, who can proverbially be termed as wet behind the ears, does display a change in mindset.
'Cricket West Indies, I really think a few heads should roll for this because they've made some decisions and this is the result of those decisions.'
Nadine de Klerk's four-fer, followed by a match-winning half-century, powered RCB to open their account with a win in the opening match of WPL 2026 against MI on Friday in Navi Mumbai.
Ness Wadia says bigger IPL window needed, all for Champions League revival.
Delhi Capitals' head coach Hemang Badani said they want to move towards a younger and more aggressive option aligned with the team's style of play.
Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Rodrigues among players retained for WPL 2026: Report
With a five-match T20I series in October-November in Australia, five T20Is against South Africa at home in December and five T20Is against New Zealand at home in January 2026, Team India will now look to test itself, its combinations and youngsters against some of the world's best T20I teams ahead of the T20 WC 2026, which will start in early 2026.
South African pace bowling legend Allan Donald has hinted at the possibility of two new franchises joining the SA20 league in the near future.
Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara will return to Rajasthan Royals to lead the coaching staff after the exit of Rahul Dravid as head coach.
The Sunrisers in a mail to the governing body's top brass, which is in PTI's possession, said it would consider shifting the home matches to another state if the HCA continues to "threaten" the franchise, primarily for more complimentary tickets (free passes).
The IPL's overall valuation fell by 8 per cent to Rs 76,100 crore in 2025.
'A total of 19 players have registered in the highest base-price bracket of Rs.50 lakh, 11 players in the Rs. 40 lakh bracket, and 88 players in the Rs.30 lakh bracket.'
The seasoned duo of Meg Lanning and Sophie Devine were also among the marquee picks. Giants bought Devine for Rs 2 crore, while UP Warriorz landed Lanning for Rs 1.90 crore.
It is believed that captain Sanju Samson has asked Rajasthan Royals to trade him or release him into the auction, signalling an end to his long association with the franchise.
Cameron Green's versatility -- the ability to bat anywhere in the order, bowl seam and contribute with superb fielding -- makes him one of the most sought-after names in this year's IPL auction.
AB de Villiers isn't tempted to a return to international cricket or a high-profile tournament like the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite proving his insatiable appetite for piling up runs in the World Championship of Legends.
Venkatesh has scored 1,468 runs in the IPL, playing for KKR, with his best season being 2023 with 404 runs. His dip in form in 2025 (142 runs) saw him being released by the franchise before the IPL 2026 auction.
Uncapped players who cashed in at the IPL auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Four-Test-old all-rounder Jacob Bethell was awarded his maiden central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which offered two-year deals to 14 multi-format cricketers, including Test captain Ben Stokes and injury-plagued pacer Jofra Archer.
Shreyas Iyer will take centre stage for Punjab Kings at next week's IPL auction in Abu Dhabi, stepping in as the franchise's lead decision-maker at the table as PBKS plot their final moves for the 2026 season.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould said they would not support a proposed global Twenty20 league bankrolled by Saudi Arabia.
2026 is all set to be big, when it comes to movie releases from Bollywood as well as pan-India releases from Tamil and Telugu cinema.
After getting retained by UP Warriorz for Rs 3.2 crore (Rs 32 million) ahead of the upcoming Women's Premier League, star Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma said there is no pressure of the price tag on her and, if anything, it motivates her to do well in the fourth edition of the tournament.
Ruturaj Gaikwad set to lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026
