Domestic Talents Take Centre Stage at Not-So-Mini IPL Auction

Cameron Green became the costliest overseas player in IPL history at ₹25.20 crore. Matheesha Pathirana secured a record ₹18 crore deal, making him Sri Lanka's highest-earning cricketer. Mustafizur Rahman topped Bangladesh players with a ₹9.2 crore contract. Liam Livingstone, released at ₹8.75 crore, was bought for ₹13 crore, while Josh Inglis, available for only four games, fetched ₹8.6 crore.

Initially, it appeared to be a night dominated by overseas stars—until Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, and Auqib Nabi Dar flipped the script.

Ask Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, or IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal—few would call this auction "mini." For lesser-known players, the IPL grew even bigger as the day unfolded at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

"The kind of reward that Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma got is phenomenal, unimaginable, unprecedented. Going forward, it will give a lot of motivation to all the youngsters," said Dhumal.

The ₹14.20 crore bids for Veer and Sharma are the highest ever for uncapped players in IPL history. Dar followed closely at ₹8.40 crore. Suddenly, Veer, Sharma, and Dar were the toast of the nation.

Chennai Super Kings entered with a purse of ₹43.4 crore, the second-largest among franchises. Many expected them to chase established names. Instead, they turned to the domestic circuit for relatively unknown talent.

Sharma had been part of the CSK camp last year, while Veer was spotted during the UP Premier League. Despite fierce bidding wars, CSK pushed on with conviction.

AR Srikkanth, the franchise's scout, was central to the process. "He is the boss," said CSK coach Stephen Fleming, crediting Srikkanth for unearthing domestic talent.

"I just wonder if we are now seeing the true product of T20 cricket coming to the fore," Fleming noted. "Earlier, my view was that experience would win. But now you're seeing fearless athletes who've grown up on T20 cricket with a mouth-watering skill set."

Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani was also struck by the depth of domestic talent. "Generally very, very happy for the uncapped players. They should remember the auction is about demand and supply, not wearing the price on their head. It's about timing and the slots teams need to fill."

With only ₹2.75 crore left, Mumbai Indians spent most of the auction on the sidelines. Ambani, however, said he wasn't bored for a second watching domestic talent take centre stage.

Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani offered another perspective: "Every side has to spend that kind of money, ₹120 crore. No side wants to take savings home. Everyone wants the players they desire, and no franchise is shying away from spending."

Badani's Delhi Capitals spent ₹8.40 crore on Dar, a relatively unknown pacer from Jammu and Kashmir, capping a landmark day for domestic cricketers.

Dhumal viewed the outcome as a direct result of the rise of State T20 leagues. For a bowler like Dar to command over ₹8 crore marked not just personal reward but validation of the system.

"That means whatever we aimed to achieve has filtered through the system—State leagues identifying talent, giving opportunities, and teams using scouting networks to observe these youngsters," he said. "It truly embodies the tagline: 'Where talent meets opportunity.' This platform delivers exactly that."