bahariduniya.com I Updated : 10 December 2026
The BCCI has unveiled the roster of cricketers eligible for the IPL 2026 mini-auction, trimming over a thousand names from the preliminary list. Among those included is Steve Smith, who last featured in the IPL back in 2022. The ex-Rajasthan Royals skipper has gone unsold in recent auctions and has since taken up commentary duties in the league. Now, however, he is aiming to make a comeback as a player.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the reigning IPL champions, will head into the 2026 mini-auction after releasing six players on retention day under the leadership of Rajat Patidar. Among those let go is Mayank Agarwal, the Indian batter who had joined RCB as a replacement in the 2025 season when Devdutt Padikkal was sidelined due to injury. For the upcoming auction, Agarwal has reduced his base price to ₹75 lakh, down from the ₹1 crore he had set during the 2025 mega-auction, making himself available for bidding once again.
In the 2025 IPL season, Mayank Agarwal featured in four matches, scoring a total of 95 runs. His best effort came in the final, where he contributed 24 runs off 18 deliveries. Having made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru back in 2011, Agarwal has since accumulated 2,756 runs across 131 appearances in the tournament. Over the years, the right-handed batter has represented multiple franchises — he played for Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) between 2014 and 2016, before being traded to Rising Pune Supergiant for the 2017 edition.
Mayank Agarwal represented Punjab Kings between 2018 and 2022 before moving to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023, where he spent two seasons. He did not find a buyer in the IPL 2025 mega-auction. However, he is anticipated to attract bids in the upcoming IPL 2026 mini-auction. Currently, Agarwal is turning out for Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he has accumulated 135 runs across seven matches.
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