Accelerated Round 1 of the IPL 2026 Auction moved at pace, with franchises snapping up experienced names and uncapped prospects to strengthen squad depth across departments.
Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka drew immediate interest, with Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals going head-to-head for the top-order batter. Delhi Capitals eventually prevailed, securing Nissanka for INR 4 crore to bolster their opening options.
The Knight Riders were particularly active during the round. The franchise picked up Indian batter Rahul Tripathi at his base price of INR 75 lakh and added New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert for INR 1.50 crore. KKR also secured uncapped batter Tejasvi Dahiya for INR 3 crore, continuing their investment in young Indian talent to build middle-order depth.
Gujarat Titans outbid Chennai Super Kings to land West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder for INR 7 crore, adding experience, pace, and lower-order batting strength.
The Super Kings responded by signing Australian batter Matthew Short at his base price of INR 1.50 crore, maintaining their value-focused overseas recruitment strategy.
Another notable battle unfolded for Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman. The Knight Riders edged past Super Kings, securing his services for INR 9.20 crore after surpassing CSK’s final bid of INR 9 crore.
In the uncapped players category, Akshat Raguwanshi attracted strong interest. Starting from a base price of INR 30 lakh, bids from Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants pushed the price up before LSG secured him for INR 2.20 crore.
Fast bowler Mangesh Yadav also drew significant attention, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad driving the bidding from a base of INR 30 lakh to INR 5.20 crore. The defending champions, RCB, eventually sealed the deal.
Sunrisers Hyderabad rounded off the set by signing Salil Arora for INR 1.50 crore, adding further depth to their squad.
As Accelerated Round 1 concluded, franchises continued to balance speed with strategy, targeting specific roles and value opportunities as the final pieces of IPL 2026 squads began to fall into place.
