With 1,355 players throwing their names into the IPL 2026 auction pool, teams have plenty to choose from, but there’s a twist. Five overseas players have informed the BCCI that they’ll only be available for part of the season, forcing franchises to think carefully before spending big.
Talent on Offer But Only for 25% of the Season
The most notable name on the list is Josh Inglis, Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter who’s currently playing in the Ashes. Inglis has told the BCCI he can commit to just 25% of IPL 2026, which translates to four matches at most.
Despite a strong 2025 season for Punjab Kings 278 runs in 11 games, a match-winning 73 against Mumbai Indians, and smashing 20 off a single Jasprit Bumrah over in Qualifier 2 Punjab eventually released him.
The reason? His IPL commitments might clash with his wedding. Even coach Ricky Ponting reportedly wanted to retain him, but with such limited availability, the Kings had to let him go. Inglis enters the auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore but it’s a lot of money for just a couple of weeks of cricket.
Agar, Sutherland, Milne, Rossouw: Availability Concerns Everywhere
The other four players have also shared partial availability numbers:
- Ashton Agar (Australia) 65% availability, Base price: Rs 2 crore
Despite his international experience, Agar has never played in the IPL. - William Sutherland (Australia) 80% availability, Base price: Rs 1 crore
Like Agar, Sutherland hasn’t featured in the IPL yet. - Adam Milne (New Zealand) 95% availability, Base price: Rs 2 crore
Milne has IPL experience but hasn’t played in the league for the last three seasons. - Rilee Rossouw (South Africa) 20% availability: With only 3–4 matches possible and 22 IPL games since his 2014 debut, Rossouw is unlikely to be picked.
Will Any Franchise Take the Risk?
Short-availability players have always been tricky investments. Unless a team needs a short-term replacement or a specialist for a specific venue, most franchises steer clear.
Inglis still holds the best chance among the five, thanks to his 2025 form and big-match temperament. But for players like Rossouw, who can barely play a handful of games getting picked looks unlikely.
Auction Day on December 16
With so many players in the pool and a fresh overseas salary cap limit of Rs 18 crore, the IPL 2026 auction is expected to be unpredictable and full of surprises. And with these partial-availability declarations, teams now have an additional strategic layer to navigate.
Whether any of these five players find buyers will be one of the more interesting subplots on December 16.
