The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction is coming soon, and 1,355 players will go under the hammer on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Among them, there will be many domestic pacers who were once rated highly but have been forgotten due to injuries or a dip in form. Because of this, they could not make an impact in the world’s biggest T20 league so far.
These pacers will once again be part of the auction, and with not many domestic fast bowling options available, this could be the year when they get another chance, either as backups or as part of the main team. Many franchises will be looking to fill this important gap in their squads.
Let’s look at three forgotten domestic fast bowlers who could win bids at the IPL 2026 auction.
Kartik Tyagi went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. The 25-year-old pacer is still seen as one of India’s bright fast-bowling talents. He can bowl at around 140 km/h, and his pace and aggression can trouble top batters. He was part of Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024 but played only one match before being released by the franchise.
Earlier this year, he played in the UP T20 League and finished among the top five wicket takers. He took 18 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 16.94 and an economy rate of 8.06. With not many domestic fast bowlers available in the auction, Kartik Tyagi could still attract a bid because of the potential he has shown. He is currently playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, representing Uttar Pradesh.
So far, he has played 20 IPL matches and has taken 15 wickets. Even though his numbers are not very big yet, many teams may still look at him in the IPL 2026 auction as a backup.
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Kamlesh Nagarkoti was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad last season, but he did not play any matches. He was later released by the franchise on the retention deadline day. Nagarkoti was a member of the U19 World Cup-winning team in 2018, led by Prithvi Shaw, and players like Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma were also part of that squad. Since then, he has always been rated as a high-talent fast bowler.
He was bought by KKR in the 2018 IPL auction, but frequent injuries affected his progress. Because of this, he has only played 12 matches in the IPL so far. However, this year he has performed well in domestic cricket. In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26, representing Rajasthan, he has taken 11 wickets in five matches.
He may not get a very high price, but with his recent form, Nagarkoti could still get a bid in the IPL 2026 auction.
Sushant Mishra was part of Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022 and was later bought by the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2024 auction. However, he is still waiting to make his IPL debut.
The upcoming season could be the time when the forgotten pacer finally gets his chance, as he might be one of the picks in the IPL 2026 auction. In the ongoing SMAT 2025-26, representing Jharkhand, he has taken 10 wickets in five matches so far. Except for one match where he went wicketless, he picked up at least two wickets in every other game.
Overall in T20s, he has taken 17 wickets in nine matches. With this form, Sushant Mishra could attract interest from teams in the IPL 2026 auction.
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