The 2026 mini-IPL Auction was headlined by a slew of promising domestic talents glowing brightly, with franchises bidding aggressively for them. The likes of Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, and Auqib Nabi were clearly in demand. There were also some smart picks that could turn out to be value for money. At RevSportz, we list some of the best picks of the auction.
Jacob Duffy – Here’s an overseas cricketer who could turn out to be a reliable back-up for Josh Hazlewood. In the 2025 IPL season, Hazlewood was the go-to man for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The tall pacer blended good pace with extra bounce, seam movement, and his ability to watch the batter’s feet to take 22 wickets at an average of 17.54. However, he is now on the wrong side of 30 and has been laid low by injuries. That is where Duffy could be a decent alternative.
The tall New Zealander hits the bat hard on impact and has developed a variation or two in recent times. Duffy, who briefly held the No. 1 spot in the T20I rankings, has been in excellent form, bagging 42 wickets at an astounding average of 13.42 in his last 23 T20Is. It is true that if he gets to play at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, he will need to adjust to the relatively smaller boundaries. However, it must be noted that grounds in New Zealand are not known for being massive either. At INR 2 crore, he could prove to be a value-for-money pick.
Vihaan Malhotra – The left-hander, picked by RCB for his base price of INR 30 lakh, is the quintessential modern-day T20 batter. Vihaan, whose wrists move quickly through the ball, stays leg-side and tries to manufacture room. His sheer bat speed was evident when he compiled a quickfire 70 in a recent one-dayer against Australia Under-19s. He can also play the reverse hit and the switch hit.
Despite possessing raw talent, RCB should view the youngster as a long-term investment. On the flip side, his batting style could be vulnerable to movement early on.
Krains Fuletra – Sunrisers Hyderabad, who bought the wrist-spinner for INR 30 lakh, may pencil him in as a long-term prospect. The left-arm wrist-spinner has been showered with praise by none other than Heinrich Klaasen, known for his big-hitting prowess. The middle-order batter said on the Sias du Plessis Show, “Last year at the IPL, one of our net bowlers (Fuletra) wanted to bowl to me all the time. I have faced enough left-arm leg-spinners in my career, but I just couldn’t hit him. It is nice to see that he is actually doing very well in his domestic camp.”
Incidentally, the talented spinner picked up 10 wickets for Anmol Kings Halar in the 2025 Saurashtra Pro T20 League. His economy rate of 7 was also noteworthy.
Auqib Nabi – By now, Nabi’s swing-bowling prowess is well known across the Indian cricketing landscape. The Jammu and Kashmir pacer, picked up by Delhi Capitals for INR 8.4 crore, can swing the ball both ways and, more importantly, generates late movement. He is also adept at using old-ball swing.
Over time, Nabi has improved his death-overs skills. Although he does not possess express pace, he is undoubtedly a skilful bowler. Nabi is also a useful lower-order batter. In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he has snaffled 15 wickets at an impressive average of 13.26.
Kartik Sharma – At INR 14.2 crore, Kartik Sharma’s price may seem slightly inflated, but Chennai Super Kings view him as a long-term investment. It is clear that Kartik has tremendous potential in T20 cricket, highlighted by his clean striking during various trials with IPL franchises.
He is believed to have smashed a whopping 18 sixes during his trials with Kolkata Knight Riders. More importantly, Kartik is known for his finishing skills and is also a wicketkeeper. With MS Dhoni not getting any younger, the CSK camp will hope to groom Kartik to fill his enormous shoes.
Prashant Veer – When it comes to Prashant Veer, CSK have once again kept an eye on the future. With Ravindra Jadeja moving to Rajasthan Royals, CSK secured Veer for INR 14.2 crore. The spinning all-rounder bowls accurate left-arm spin and can hit big shots, especially through the on-side.
Veer, who idolises Ben Stokes and Yuvraj Singh, impressed in the UP T20 League, scoring 320 runs and picking up eight wickets with his left-arm spin. He scored those runs at an impressive strike rate of over 155. His strike rate of nearly 170 in the ongoing SMAT is also worth noting. The essence of Veer’s story, however, lies in his humble beginnings – he is the son of a primary school teacher, and his cricketing expenses were covered by his grandfather’s pension.
Other value-for-money picks: Ashok Sharma (fast bowler, Gujarat Titans), Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper-batter, Mumbai Indians), Matt Henry (pace bowler, CSK), and Jordan Cox (wicketkeeper-batter, RCB).
