The IPL 2026 auction was once again unexpected, especially for foreign cricketers. While the franchises spent Rs 215.45 crore to secure 77 players, several international players were left without contracts despite recent records. Mainly due to the mini-auction format, teams focused on filling specific gaps rather than building teams from scratch, which played a major role in this result.
Franchises leaned more towards domestic options, valuing local players, low costs and team balance over overseas experience. With limited slots available for foreign recruits, even big names were placed in the unsold category.
Here are 3 foreign players who deserved IPL contracts
jamie smith
England's star wicketkeeper-batsman jamie smith The IPL 2026 auction suffered a shocking setback after remaining unsold despite immense buildup. The 25-year-old had set his base price at Rs 2 crore and was eyeing his first IPL contract, but no franchise agreed to sign him. Smith's name was called three times, and during the quick rounds, some teams even asked for time to discuss with auctioneer Malika Sagar before deciding against the bid.
In T20, Smith has scored 1687 runs in 97 T20 matches at an average of 24.44 and a strike rate of 144.31, including nine fifties. He has also played five T20 matches for England, scoring 130 runs at a strike rate of 194.02. Despite a promising record, he was ignored by teams.
Leave a Reply