IPL 2026: From KL Rahul To Devdutt Padikkal- Full List Of Karnataka Players Participating

The IPL 2026 mini-auction, held in Abu Dhabi on December 16, delivered several talking points and stood out as one of the most unique auctions in the league's history. With a limited player pool and all ten franchises arriving with clearly defined plans, the spotlight quickly shifted away from big overseas names to a remarkable surge in interest for uncapped Indian talent.

A total of 369 players were part of the auction at the Etihad Arena. Kolkata Knight Riders, who entered the event with the largest purse, made the biggest splash by securing Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for Rs 25.20 crore, the highest bid of the auction. After the intense bidding for Green concluded, franchises adopted a more cautious approach, focusing on filling specific gaps in their squads rather than chasing marquee names.

The biggest revelation of the night was the massive sums paid for uncapped Indian players. Youngsters like Prashant Veer and Karthik Sharma grabbed the spotlight after earning identical deals worth Rs 14.20 crore each, a rare occurrence for players yet to make their IPL debuts. Their price tags highlighted a growing trend among franchises to invest in potential rather than reputation.

However, the auction turned out to be a disappointing one for Karnataka's uncapped players, as none managed to secure a contract, mirroring the fate of players from Tamil Nadu. Despite this, Karnataka will continue to have a strong presence in IPL 2026, with several established names already part of franchise squads from previous seasons.

Karnataka players set to feature in IPL 2026

KL Rahul (Delhi Capitals)
Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
Manish Pandey (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Karun Nair (Delhi Capitals)
Pravin Dubey (Punjab Kings)
Vijaykumar Vyshak (Punjab Kings)
Shreyas Gopal (Chennai Super Kings)
Prasidh Krishna (Gujarat Titans)
Ravichandran Smaran (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

From seasoned campaigners like KL Rahul and Manish Pandey to reliable performers such as Prasidh Krishna and Karun Nair, Karnataka's players are expected to play key roles across franchises. While the auction spotlight favoured uncapped stars, the upcoming season will once again see Karnataka's proven talents making an impact on the IPL stage.