The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction registered players list is out, and 1355 players have submitted their names. With the event set to take place on December 16, teams will now plan their strategies to fill their remaining slots based on the purse they have left.
Many England players will be in high demand this year, especially those who have registered with a base price of INR 2 crore. While Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell and a few others have already been retained, several talented English players who were released or have not made their IPL debut yet will be part of this auction and are likely to get strong interest.
Here’s a look at five England players who could attract big bids in the IPL 2026 auction.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) released Liam Livingstone ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. He scored only 112 runs in eight innings at an average of 16.00 and took just two wickets in five innings with the ball. Because of this poor performance, RCB decided to release him.
Since the IPL, Livingstone has done well. In the T20 Blast, he scored 260 runs in seven matches at an average of 52.00 and a strike rate of 176.87, and also took six wickets. In The Hundred 2025, he scored 241 runs in eight matches at an average of 40.16 and picked up seven wickets.
The England all-rounder will be one of the players many teams will target in the auction. Several sides need a middle-order batter who can also bowl spin. With Glenn Maxwell pulling out of the auction, Livingstone will be among the top options for teams in the IPL 2026 auction.
Jamie Smith has registered his name for the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. The England wicketkeeper batter will be one of the top targets. Teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals need an overseas top order batter, and for KKR especially, someone who can keep wickets and bat at the top.
Smith has played five T20Is so far with a strike rate of 194.02. In the Hundred earlier this year, he scored 203 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 170.58. Any team that buys him can expect fast scoring, especially in the powerplay.
His wicketkeeping ability also increases his value since many teams want a player who can handle that role. Jamie Smith has registered himself in the IPL 2026 auction with a base price of INR 2 crore.
Ben Duckett has also registered for the IPL 2026 auction with a base price of INR 2 crore. He has not played in the IPL yet, so this could be the season where he finally makes his debut.
The England opener has a strike rate of 153.64 in 20 T20Is. In the eight matches he has played this year, he has scored 212 runs. Like Jamie Smith, Duckett also plays an aggressive style from the start and has all the shots needed for T20 cricket. He could be among the top targets in the auction.
Duckett likes to attack every ball but also keeps the strike rotating when boundaries are not possible. He rarely plays dot balls, which makes him a valuable option for teams looking for a fast-scoring top-order batter.
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One of the standout names in domestic leagues this year was Jordan Cox. The English batter had an impressive T20 Blast and The Hundred season. He mostly batted at No.3 and finished with a strike rate of 165.21 in the T20 Blast and 173.93 in The Hundred. He scored 342 runs in 10 matches in the Blast and 367 runs in nine games in The Hundred.
Overall, he has played 158 T20 matches and has scored 3581 runs. He is mainly a top-order batter who can play at No.3, but he can also bat at No.4 in the middle order. He has been picked by Pretoria Capitals, the sister franchise of Delhi Capitals, as a replacement for Saqib Mahmood. Because of this link, there is a chance that Delhi Capitals might target him in the IPL 2026 auction.
Other teams will also be looking for a reliable top-order batter, so Jordan Cox could be one of the underrated picks in the IPL 2026 auction.
Jonny Bairstow was bought by Mumbai Indians as a temporary replacement for Ryan Rickelton last season. He had gone unsold in the IPL 2025 auction but got a chance in the playoffs, where he scored 85 runs in two matches at an average of 42.50 and a strike rate of 184.78. However, MI had to release him because temporary replacements cannot be retained as per IPL rules. For the IPL 2026 auction, Mumbai also cannot buy him since they have only INR 2.75 crore left, while Bairstow’s base price is INR 2 crore.
Other teams will now look at Bairstow in the auction. He has played 52 IPL matches and scored 1674 runs. His performance in the playoffs last season showed that he still has the ability to score quickly. In The Hundred 2025, he also did well by scoring 248 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 156.96.
Teams searching for an experienced batter who can also keep wickets will have Bairstow high on their list for the IPL 2026 auction.
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