Tejasvi Singh, also known as Tejasvi Dahiya in domestic cricket, stood out among the uncapped India players at IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. The 23-year-old uncapped wicketkeeper-batter from Delhi earned a jaw-dropping INR 3 crore deal from three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), rising from a base price of Rs 30 lakhs.
The right-hand batter entered the auction pool at a base price of 30 lakhs and was listed in the UWK1. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians kicked off the bidding, followed closely by KKR. The two teams engaged in an intense bidding war that reached INR 85 lakhs. Then, Rajasthan Royals (RR) entered the scene while MI, who came to the IPL 2026 auction with the lowest purse, pulled back. RR and KKR both fought hard to sign Tejasvi, but KKR eventually sealed the deal at INR 3 crores.
Tejasvi’s addition will help KKR be flexible with their batting order. It will also boost the lower-order after Andre Russell’s retirement. If given a chance, he will team up with Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh to finish the innings or can open the innings if Finn Allen misses out for any reason. With legendary MS Dhoni being his role model, Tejasvi, who bats in the lower middle-order, aims to replicate his incredible form in IPL 2026 and announce himself to the world.
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Representing Delhi, Tejasvi earned the nickname “Delhi ka de Villiers” for his street-smart power-hitting skills under pressure. As a middle-order aggressor, the wicket-keeper batter combines power with the ability to target gaps, which drew attention from multiple franchises at IPL auction 2026.
Tejasvi announced himself with a strong List A debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), scoring 114 off 78 balls, laced with nine fours and six sixes at 146.15, at No. 5 against Tripura. He dismantled both pace and spin at equal rates, highlighting his strength in the middle order. In SMAT 2025, Tejasvi scored 113 runs in 4 innings at an average of 56.50 at a strike rate of 168.65, including a fifty.
His stock rose in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, where he played a key role for South Delhi Superstarz and piled up 339 runs in 10 matches with an average of 48.43 and an explosive strike rate of 190.45, including 29 sixes. This impeccable consistency with the bat and great wicket-keeping skills grabbed the attention of KKR scouts. In DPL 2025, Tejasvi equalled the record set by Yuvraj Singh for the fastest fifty by an Indian in T20 cricket, racing to his half-century off just 12 balls against Purani Dilli, highlighting his ability to hit sixes at will.
IPL 2026 marks Dahiya’s debut in the league, where opportunities may come gradually behind established players. However, with KKR’s focus on youth and his domestic momentum, he is someone to watch among rising Indian keepers. Expectations are high for him to turn his fireworks into an impact in the IPL.
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