IPL 2026 Auction: KKR and CSK have biggest purse — what positions, roles and players they will be targeting?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction begins on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, where most franchises will aim to fill the gaps in their squads. Two of the most successful franchises, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), will enter the bidding with the largest purses of 43.40 crore and 64.30 crore, respectively, and both are expected to be heavily involved in driving up player prices.
Chennai, led by MS Dhoni for the lion’s share of IPL 2025 due to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury, ended the season with the wooden spoon in the points table. They collected only four victories in 14 clashes at a net run rate of -0.647. Meanwhile, Kolkata ended at the eighth position with five wins at a net run rate of -0.305.
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Let’s take a look at how both sides will try to fill their gaps in the IPL 2026 auction:
Chennai Super Kings seek spin all-rounder and pace bowling options
Remaining purse: INR 43.40 crore.
Players retained: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (traded in from RR), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brewis, Shivam Dube, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj.
CSK find themselves in uncharted territory, having missed the playoffs in successive seasons for the first time. Though largely well-established, the team has struggled in recent editions, but the arrival of Sanju Samson adds much-needed firepower. The management now faces a healthy headache in deciding how to fit Samson, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, and the two young talents – Urvil Patel and Ayush Mhatre – into the top order.
However, for the very first time in more than a decade, they will be without both of their spin veterans- Ravichandran Ashwin, who has retired from the league, and Ravindra Jadeja has been traded to Rajasthan Royals. That will force them to look for a spin-bowling all-rounder who can deliver a few overs in the middle.
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Liam Livingstone will be on their radar again, as CSK had pursued the English all-rounder in the previous auction as well. Livingstone has overall notched up 1051 runs in 47 IPL innings at a strike rate of 158.76, and while he hasn’t bowled much in the league, Chennai’s slow surface could work in his favour.
If Livingstone exceeds their budget, CSK may shift their focus to Michael Bracewell. His only IPL season came with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2023, but the New Zealand all-rounder brings considerable T20 experience, with 3,455 runs at a strike rate of 135.49, along with the ability to deliver useful overs of off-spin.
In terms of Indian players, Prashant Veer can be a good option for CSK. Like Jadeja, Veer is a left-handed batter and a very tidy left-arm spinner. Representing the UP side, he had a promising Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26 season with 112 runs and nine wickets.
With such a big purse, they will surely target Cameron Green, though several factors will need to align for them to secure the Australian all-rounder. Venkatesh Iyer could also be a valuable middle-order option. CSK enjoyed success with Noor Ahmed last year, and they may look at Wanindu Hasaranga as a potential back-up spin option.
In the pace bowling department, they will try to get back Matheesha Pathirana for a lower price. He had a decent IPL 2025 campaign with 13 wickets in 12 innings at an economy rate of 10.14. Auqib Nabi may also need to wear the yellow jersey by the end of the auction.
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Kolkata Knight Riders aim for powerful opener and pacers in IPL 2026 auction
Remaining purse: INR 64.30 crore.
Retained players: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy.
Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the mini auction with the biggest purse of Rs 64.30 crore, which gives them the freedom to shape the squad largely on their own terms. Just a year after lifting the 2024 title, the Knight Riders scarcely resembled defending champions in 2025. And with Andre Russell now retired from the league, KKR appear to require a substantive reset rather than a mere cosmetic tweak.
Cameron Green is the most certain to sit near the top of KKR’s wish list. The Australian all-rounder can bat at number four and reliably provide at least three overs, making him a near-ideal structural replacement for Russell. His addition would also complement Rovman Powell, who is already part of the squad.
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For the opening spot, they need someone who can also keep wickets. They can either go back to Quinton de Kock or aim for Jonny Bairstow. The fast Eden Gardens surface will be helpful for Bairstow’s aggressive batting. KKR can also keep an eye on Jamie Smith for the middle-over batting.
New Zealand’s Finn Allen, who is yet to feature in the IPL, can be a valuable option at the top. In terms of Indian players, Tamil Nadu’s Tushar Raheja can provide them with freshness in the squad. Raheja has managed 151 runs at a strike rate of 164.13 in the ongoing SMAT 2025-26.
They are also likely to attempt to bring back Venkatesh Iyer at a lower price. In the bowling department, Matheesha Pathirana will be high on their wish list, alongside Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman. For new-ball options, left-arm seamer Jason Behrendroff or New Zealand’s Matt Henry could prove to be ideal fits.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ newly appointed head coach, Abhishek Nayar, may also consider targeting Prithvi Shaw as a backup opener. With six overseas slots available among 13, KKR are expected to adopt a more precise, needs-based approach at the auction rather than pursuing volume. They have the financial muscle, but executing with accuracy will be crucial. After all, they must move past the disappointment of 2025 and re-establish themselves heading into IPL 2026.
With both CSK and KKR armed with the auction’s biggest purses, December 16 promises to be a defining day for two franchises seeking course correction. Each side has clear gaps to address and the financial flexibility to reshape its squad meaningfully. How accurately they identify and secure the right players may well determine whether they return to contender status in IPL 2026 or remain stuck in the inconsistencies of the previous season.
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