He scored 31 runs in seven matches and didn't bowl a single over in the IPL 2025 for CSK.
With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi just a couple of days away, Deepak Hooda has been dealt with a big blow as the BCCI has continued to list him among players with suspected bowling actions. The Indian cricket board has officially conveyed this position on Hooda’s bowling action to the IPL franchises on Saturday (December 13).
Hooda, who currently plays for Rajasthan in the domestic circuit, was released by the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, scheduled for December 16. He endured a horrific IPL 2025 campaign, managing 31 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 75.60, averaging 6.20.
Hooda bowls part-time off-spin but did not bowl a single over across seven matches for CSK last season. The 30-year-old has recently rolled his arm for six overs in India’s domestic tournaments – one in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 and five in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025. He last bowled on December 8, when Rajasthan locked horns with Jharkhand. His standout performance with the ball in SMAT came in Ahmedabad, where he snared three scalps for 24 runs.
However, if the all-rounder called for suspect action again, Hooda will be banned from bowling in the IPL. This may lead to the franchises potentially not bidding for him due to a lack of contribution in the bowling department.
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Hooda, who has played 10 ODIs and 21 T20Is for India, has been slotted in the AL1 category at the highly anticipated IPL 2026 auction with a base price of INR 75 lakhs. Given there are seven players in the AL1 category, including Venkatesh Iyer, the third most expensive Indian in tournament history, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Rachin Ravindra, Hooda’s unprecedented but limited bowling availability could diminish his IPL contract chances. Notably, the AL1 category is second in the auction to go under the hammer.
The only other player with a suspect action is Abid Mushtaq of Jammu and Kashmir, a 29-year-old left-arm spinner, who has set a base price of Rs 30 lakhs. Notably, the Karnataka off-spinner KL Shrijith and Rishabh Chauhan of Madhya Pradesh (No. 345 on the auction list) are the players who have been banned from bowling in IPL 2026.
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