IPL 2026 auction unfolded with intense bidding wars, reshaping team lineups as franchises vied for top talent to chase glory in the upcoming season. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) emerged as aggressive spenders, exhausting nearly their entire ₹120.45 crore purse to assemble a 25-player squad featuring explosive batters and lethal pacers. Rishabh Pant commanded a record ₹27 crore as LSG’s marquee signing, while Josh Inglis fetched ₹8.60 crore, highlighting the franchise’s focus on dynamic wicketkeeper-batters to anchor their campaign.
Lucknow Super Giant’s bold auction strategy and surprising pick
Lucknow Super Giants stunned observers by splashing ₹8.60 crore on Australian wicketkeeper-batter Inglis, outbidding Sunrisers Hyderabad in a fierce contest despite his confirmed 25% availability—limited to just four matches due to international duties and a wedding. Released by Punjab Kings post-IPL 2025, Inglis’s explosive T20 form, including rapid ODI centuries, justified the gamble as a middle-order firepower boost alongside Nicholas Pooran. Another shocker came with uncapped wicketkeeper Mukul Choudhary, secured for ₹2.60 crore after edging Mumbai Indians in a bidding war from a ₹30 lakh base, signalling faith in domestic upside.
LSG smartly snapped Wanindu Hasaranga and Anrich Nortje at base ₹2 crore each, addressing spin and pace voids post-Ravi Bishnoi’s release—Hasaranga’s mystery spin pairs with Nortje’s express bounce for death-over dominance. Uncapped talents like Akshat Raghuwanshi (₹2.20 crore) and Naman Tiwari (₹1 crore) added depth at bargain rates, completing six auction buys to fill slots efficiently. With ₹4.55 crore left unspent, LSG prioritized quality over quantity, blending retained firepower with targeted reinforcements.
Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Complete list of sold players with their price
Salaries of LSG Players in IPL 2026
Pant commanded the highest salary at ₹27 crore, matching his IPL 2025 mega-auction record and cementing his role as aggressive captain-wicketkeeper after a stellar injury comeback. Nicholas Pooran followed at ₹21 crore, the explosive finisher retained for his middle-order mayhem and glovework backup. Pace spearhead Mayank Yadav earned ₹11 crore for raw speed, while Mohammed Shami‘s ₹10 crore trade-in brings veteran swing guile.
S.No.PlayerSold Price (₹)1Rishabh Pant27 crores2Nicholas Pooran21 crores3Mayank Yadav11 crores4Mohammed Shami10 crores5Avesh Khan9 crores 75 lakh6Josh Inglis8 crores 60 lakh7Abdul Samad4 crores 20 lakh8Ayush Badoni4 crores9Mohsin Khan4 crores10Mitchell Marsh3 crores 40 lakh11Mukul Choudhary2 crores 60 lakh12Shahbaz Ahmed2 crores 40 lakh13Akshat Raghuwanshi2 crores 20 lakh14Wanindu Hasaranga2 crores15Aiden Markram2 crores16Anrich Nortje2 crores17Naman Tiwari1 crore18Matthew Breetzke75 lakh19Manimaran Siddharth75 lakh20Himmat Singh30 lakh21Digvesh Rathi30 lakh22Arshin Kulkarni30 lakh23Prince Yadav30 lakh24Akash Singh30 lakh25Arjun Tendulkar30 lakh
Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Full list of unsold players along with their base price
