IPL 2026 Auction: KKR buy Pathirana for Rs. 18 Cr, RR get Bishnoi for 7.2 Cr

Abu Dhabi, Dec 16 (IANS) The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction kicked off on a high note here at the Etihad Arena on Tuesday, with the first hour seeing a couple of bidding wars for capped batters. The hammer soon went down for the capped bowlers as Matheesha Pathirana stole the limelight by fetching Rs. 18 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders.

Matt Henry was the first name to come up, but he went unsold. India pacer Akash Deep, who has been a top name in red-ball cricket, was the next but could not attract any bidders.

Jacob Duffy then became the first player from the list of capped bowlers to find a buyer, as reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) roped him at his base price of Rs. 2 crore.

Up next, Sri Lankan sensation Pathirana sparked a bidding war between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, with the sum crossing Rs. 15 crore. Just when Delhi backed out, KKR joined in, taking the youngster’s fee even higher. The three-time champions eventually won the battle and roped in the 22-year-old pacer for a massive sum of Rs. 18 crore.

Pathirana made his IPL debut for the Chennai Super Kings and represented them till the 2025 edition of the tournament.

Among the fast bowlers, South Africa’s Gerald Coetzee and India’s Shivam Mavi remained unsold, while Lucknow Super Giants bought Anrich Nortje in a steal deal for Rs. 2 crore.

In the list of capped spinners, Ravi Bishnoi grabbed eyeballs as the Rajasthan Royals and CSK got into a tense battle. While the five-time champions backed out when the amount reached Rs. 6 crore, Sunrisers Hyderabad made a sudden entry, adding further spice to the drama.

However, the inaugural champions remained firm and eventually bought the spinner for Rs. 7.20 crore. Akeal Hosein was the last player from the list of bowlers to be sold as CSK got his services for Rs. 2 crore.

Rahul Chahar, Mujeeb Rahman, and Maheesh Theekshana were the notable names to go unsold.

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