R Ashwin forecasts IPL 2026 Mini-Auction’s most expensive buys

Legendary former India off-spinner and CSK mainstay Ravichandran Ashwin, who is also in the spotlight regarding IPL trade window rumours, has chosen the priciest items to purchase at the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, a number of talented teams placed in the lower half of the standings. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), two reigning champions, placed tenth and ninth, respectively. Experts speculate that these two teams may be preparing to restructure their rosters in preparation for the 2026 Indian Premier League.

Ashwin anticipated that while known Indian players could be difficult to buy, players from other countries will fetch enormous sums in the mini-auction.

“It will be difficult to locate Indian players at this mini-auction. Perhaps there will just be new players. Speaking on his Hindi YouTube channel, “Ash ki Baat,” Ashwin stated that the expensive picks would be foreign players.

“It is quite hazardous for a franchise to release a major Indian player. “There will be a lot of Australian players at the auction,” Ashwin said.

Ashwin specifically mentioned two Australian cricket players who might be among the priciest selections in the mini-auction. The 38-year-old chose the names Cameron Green and Mitchell Owen.

“You have Mitchell Owen, who played three games for Punjab Kings as a substitute. A person like Cameron Green will then enter the auction. Since they are international all-rounders, they will cost a lot. For all teams, the mini-auction will cost between Rs 25 and Rs 30 crore, according to Ashwin.

After suffering a lower-spine injury during the white-ball tour of England in September 2024, Green was unable to participate in the IPL 2025 mega-auction. Owen, on the other hand, was selected by the Punjab Kings as an injured replacement for Glenn Maxwell after failing to sell at the mega-auction. In his lone game, the right-handed batter scored a two-ball duck. Green and Owen are both participating in the current Twenty20 International series against South Africa.

Ashwin also predicted that Mayank Yadav, a speedster for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), may be one of the highly sought-after Indian players to bid. The Lucknow-based team paid INR 11 crore to keep Mayank, but he was only able to play four games throughout the season due to a string of ailments.