IPL 2026 Mini Auction Best Target Players List for All 10 Teams
From Glenn Maxwell to Venkatesh Iyer, explore the best target players list for all 10 teams ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction.
‘Gaps’ is one word that becomes the centre of attraction when it comes to Mini Auctions in the Indian Premier League world. Most teams retain around 16-18 players with a solid core already in place ahead of the Mini Auction. Hence, the main thing they generally do in the Mini Auctions is focus on the gaps, and try to buy those players who can fill the gaps in the team. This is why it is called as a Mini Auction, because teams generally make only mini changes in the squad.
The IPL 2026 Mini Auction is just a few months away, and teams are already gearing up to announce their retentions and releases ahead of the Mini Auction. Most teams will be looking to release redundant players, who do not add much value in the side, and the ones who have been performing poorly in the last few years. Among the big players that teams may be expected to release include Sanju Samson, Glenn Maxwell, Liam Livingstone, Venkatesh Iyer, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, etc.
Alongside these predicted releases, there will be many Overseas players who will be eager to play in the IPL. So, combining the predicted releases alongside many Overseas stars who are making a mark in T20 cricket around the world, let’s look at the best predicted target players list for all 10 teams for the IPL 2026 Mini Auction. Since the list can be quite exhaustive, we will only focus on the top 5 target players from each who are going to fill important gaps of each team.
IPL 2026 Mini Auction Best Target Players List for All 10 Teams
CSK Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Glenn Maxwell
- Rovman Powell
- Cameron Green
- Liam Livingstone
- Glenn Phillips
Chennai Super Kings were the worst-performing team in IPL 2025, having finished 10th in he points table. However, most of CSK’s mission 2026 was completed in IPL 2025 itself when they hired the likes of Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, and Urvil Patel. The team is expected to release many high-ticket players, and they are likely to focus on adding quality finishers on the side. Among the quality options, expect CSK to target the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Glenn Phillips, and Livingstone.
Delhi Capitals Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Sanju Samson
- Mayank Yadav
- Glenn Phillips
- Cameron Green
- Glenn Maxwell
Delhi Capitals are expected to do a major overhaul in their squad. Barring retaining a core of 12-13 players, DC will release many unwanted players in the Auction. If Sanju Samson is available in the Auction, he will be on DC’s target list as they still need an opener and Captain. The team will also look to add Overseas stars, and among quality ones, they can target Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Glenn Phillips, etc. They may also be looking to add Indian pacers like Mayank Yadav if they plan to release Natarajan.
Gujarat Titans Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Cameron Green
- Liam Livingstone
- Rovman Powell
- Deepak Hooda
Gujarat Titans had a well-balanced squad in IPL 2025; however, if there was one big area where they lacked, it was the absence of a strong middle and lower-order. The team had to rely on Shakrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, etc., for these positions, and those are not the most reliable names one would like to have. Hence, GT may target the likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone, Rovman Powell, and Deepak Hooda. These players can bring more experience, and thus make the batting stronger for GT.
KKR Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Sanju Samson
- Cameron Green
- T Natarajan
- Mohammed Shami
- Ben Duckett
Kolkata Knight Riders may face a problem of plenty in their side, and thus will have to release a few from Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Quinton de Kock, Venkatesh Iyer, etc. The team may also look for a good Captain in the Auction, and if Sanju Samson is available, he could be a player to watch out for in KKR’s radar. Aside from him, KKR may go after Ben Duckett, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, T Natarajan, and Mohammed Shami.
LSG Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Matt Henry
- Kyle Jamieson
- Jayden Seales
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Gerald Coetzee
Lucknow Super Giants focused a lot on Overseas batters and Indian bowlers in IPL 2025. The result didn’t go much in their favour, and hence, they will have to do slightly opposite in IPL 2026 by focusing more on Overseas bowlers and Indian batters. So, expect LSG to target the likes of Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Gerald Coetzee, Jayden Seales, and Venkatesh Iyer to fill their existing gaps.
MI Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Mohammed Shami
- Matt Henry
- Gerald Coetzee
- Jayden Seales
- Mayank Yadav
The Mumbai Indians team has a near-perfect squad as of now, and they should retain most of their core ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction. However, if there is one area where they would want to focus in the Mini Auction, it has to be the Pace department. If we observe the current setup, Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult are the only two good pacers in the side. Hence, both Indian and Overseas pacers will be on MI’s mind, and the ones that they may target are Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Matt Henry, Gerald Coetzee, and Jayden Seales.
Punjab Kings Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- T Natarajan
- Mohammed Shami
- Mayank Yadav
- Mohsin Khan
- Rahul Chahar
The Punjab Kings had a solid squad for IPL 2025, and they had players who did well for them in almost all areas. While there were definitely liabilities like Glenn Maxwell in the side, the team’s main weakness was the pace department. With only Arshdeep Singh as a good Indian pacer in the side, the team may be focused on adding quality Indian pacers in the Auction, and the ones that they might target are Mohammed Shami, T Natarajan, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, etc. Aside from these pacers, adding back Rahul Chahar won’t be a bad option.
RR Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- T Natarajan
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Mohammed Shami
- Cameron Green
Coming to the Rajasthan Royals team, the team is currently under hot-cake traction with Sanju Samson expected to leave the franchise. If this happens, RR may be in a big soup, and that could dislodge their entire squad. If Sanju Samson, the team may focus on adding someone like Venkatesh Iyer or Cameron Green in the side. These two players will strengthen the batting for RR, and aside from these two, RR may focus on adding Indian pacers, so T Natarajan, Mohammed Shami, and their old foe Ravichandran Ashwin could be on their target list.
RCB Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Glenn Maxwell
- Mohammed Shami
- Cameron Green
- Mayank Yadav
The IPL 2025 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will look to retain most of their core, and that means they will not go after many players in the Auction. If they release Liam Livingstone and a few other players, they will have approximately 15-20 Cr in the Auction. With this value, the RCB team may target the likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Shami, Cameron Green, and Mayank Yadav. All these will be good additions in the team, and the ones that will only strengthen the RCB side further.
SRH Key Target Players for IPL 2026 Mini Auction
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- T Natarajan
- Mayank Yadav
- Mohsin Khan
- Liam Livingstone
Finally, for Sunrisers Hyderabad, they will have to make a tough call by releasing the likes of Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Adam Zampa, etc., as these guys may not be of much value to them. So, if SRH release these players, the team will be focusing on strengthening the Indian pace department, and they shall target the likes of T Natarajan, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, etc. The team might also consider Ravichandran Ashwin for his off-spin to support Harsh Dubey and Zeeshan Ansari.
So, that’s about the best target players list for all 10 Teams for IPL 2026. Which players do you think the teams will target for sure? Please share your thoughts on ipladdafounder@gmail.com.
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