Today’s (16th December) IPL 2026 mini-auction is taking place in Abu Dhabi, where 10 franchises will buy players. Of the 350 cricketers shortlisted for the auction, seven are from Bangladesh — but whether any of them will land a contract is uncertain.

Who’s in the pool (base prices)

• Mustafizur Rahman — base price 2 crore rupees.
• Rishad Hossain — 75 lakh.
• Taskin Ahmed — 75 lakh.
• Nahid Rana — 75 lakh.
• Shoriful Islam — 75 lakh.
• Tanzim Hasan — 75 lakh.
• Rakibul Hasan — 30 lakh.

Why availability matters more than talent

Bangladeshi players have appeared irregularly in the IPL — sometimes one, sometimes two, sometimes none. In the last edition, no Bangladeshi was initially in a squad; Mustafizur later joined the Delhi Capitals as a replacement. Right now, Mustafizur is the most likely of the seven to find a buyer because of his higher profile and base price.

But teams do not have many slots to fill in this mini-auction. Together, the 10 franchises are expected to buy about 77 players, of which 32 can be foreign players. So competition for those overseas slots is tight.

A far bigger hurdle this year is calendar availability. Cricbuzz reports that franchises will be briefed before the auction about players’ likely availability. Bangladesh is scheduled to play six white-ball matches against New Zealand in April 2026, which overlaps with the IPL. That could limit franchises’ interest, since they want players who can commit to most of the tournament.

Pre-auction briefing and NOC issue

Ahead of tomorrow’s mini-auction, the BCCI will hold a pre-auction meeting with franchises in an Abu Dhabi hotel to explain which foreign players are likely to be unavailable. National boards rarely grant No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for long periods, which affects how long international players can stay with IPL teams.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) says it will issue NOCs for Bangladeshi players if they secure IPL contracts. Nazmul Abedin, chairman of BCB’s cricket operations, told Cricbuzz the board will give NOCs for most of the IPL and wants its players to play as much as possible in the league.

Bottom line

Given the limited number of foreign slots, heavy competition from other international players, and the timetable clash with Bangladesh’s New Zealand series, the chances for Bangladeshi players are mixed. Mustafizur appears best placed to be picked, but overall availability concerns could keep franchise interest low.

Disclaimer: The perspectives and evaluations shared throughout this publication are solely the author’s informed interpretations. We encourage readers to think critically, engage with diverse viewpoints, and shape their own data-driven conclusions.

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