Last Updated on 1 month ago by Charbel Coorey

The IPL 2026 auction will be remembered for the “Uncapped Gold Rush,” with teams breaking the bank for rising stars like Kartik and Veer. But amidst the frenzy to secure the hottest new talent, some crucial tactical needs were left unaddressed.

A closer inspection of the final rosters reveals that while most teams have a potent starting lineup, several are dangerously light on squad depth. From middle-order stabilisers to domestic power-hitters and mystery spinners, here are the top unsold players who could have been perfect fits for the holes left in the IPL 2026 squads.

Top unsold players in IPL 2026

The Overseas Solution for Gujarat’s Middle Muddle

Jamie Smith (25y, RHB/WK)

Gujarat Titans (GT) did not buy a single middle or lower-order hitter and left the auction with the same vulnerability as last season: their middle order.

Kumar Kushagra has been in stellar form witg 368 runs in six innings (SR: 102.50) including two centuries in the 2026 Vijay Hazare Trophy, and 422 runs at an average of 60.29 with a strike rate of 161.69 in the 2025/26 SMAT. Also, an improved Washington Sundar might get a more consistent run at number four or five this season. However, the batting beyond the top three or four still lacks the confidence required for a genuine title charge.

It is also possible that Gujarat may play Jason Holder at No. 6. While Holder has improved — 63 sixes at a strike rate of 159.92 in T20s in 2025 compared to 29 sixes at a strike rate of 132.69 across 2023-24 — No. 6 still feels a spot too high for him. Jamie Smith could have fit neatly at No. 5/6, solidifying the batting spine, with Glenn Phillips remaining a strong backup option.

The Left-Handed Top-Order Options

Atharva Taide & Tushar Raheja

Atharva Taide (25y, LHB from Vidarbha)
Stats: 153.54 SR in T20s since 2023

Kolkata Knight Riders enter the season with a heavily right-handed top five — and even their immediate backups follow the same pattern. Taide, who has quietly improved his T20 game over the last few years could have added much-needed variety.

Tushar Raheja (24y, LHB/WK from Tamil Nadu)
Stats: 488 runs at 61/186 in TNPL 2025; 324 runs at 36/150 in TNPL 2024; 165 SR in SMAT

A reputed spin-hitter with wicketkeeping skills, he would have been an asset for KKR for the same reasons as Taide. His ability to take down spin (32 sixes in TNPL 2025) in the middle overs makes his unsold status surprising.

In a format where matchups dictate outcomes, the absence of a left-hander in KKR’s top order could hurt them. Taide or Raheja (or even Mahipal Lomror) may not be superstars, but they fit a clear tactical need.

The “Lower-Order” Indian Engine Room

Sanvir Singh, Ruchit Ahir, Salman Nizar, & Manisankar Murasingh

One of the recurring themes of this auction was the lack of depth in Indian lower-middle-order options for teams like GT, KKR, and CSK.

• Sanvir Singh (29y, RHB from Punjab): With 528 runs at a strike rate of 183 while batting lower down since 2022, Sanvir is a proven commodity and has previously been with SRH as well.
• Ruchit Ahir (25y, RHB/WK from Saurashtra): With 333 runs at an average of 42 and a strike rate of 169 in his short T20 career so far, Ruchit also boasts the most sixes for Saurashtra across the last two seasons.
• Salman Nizar (28y, LHB from Kerala): A poor SMAT 2025 ahead of the auction likely went against him, but Nizar had 169 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 164.08 in SMAT 2024 and also scored 751 runs at an average of 93.88 and a strike rate of 157.77 across the last two editions of the Kerala Cricket League.

• Manisankar Murasingh (33y, LHB+RAP from Tripura): One of the most discussed names ahead of the auction, he offered a rare dual skill set: a lower-order hitter — 277 runs at an average of 46.17 and a strike rate of 172.04 in SMAT 2025, also the third-highest six-hitter after Abhishek and Mhatre. Plus, he has some right-arm pace (6 wickets at an economy rate of 7.6). It was somewhat surprising to see him go unsold.

GT have almost no lower-order backups. KKR’s Indian backups (Pandey, Sarthak Ranjan, and Tripathi) are all top-order batters; none are lower-order specialists, and none really serve as backups for Rinku or Ramandeep. CSK face a similar issue, with Urvil and Sarfaraz ideally being top-four backups, leaving them short on lower-order bench strength as well.

Any of the four players mentioned above would have provided cheap, effective insurance for these teams.

The Specialised Bowlers

Shivam Shukla & Money Grewal

Shivam Shukla (30y, mystery spinner from Madhya Pradesh)
Stats: 25 wickets at 6.81 ECO in SMAT; 21 wickets in 11 innings in Madhya Pradesh Premier League

It was a little surprising to see a proven mystery spinner with strong performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Madhya Pradesh Premier League over the past couple of years go unsold, especially when several teams clearly required his services.

RCB opted for Satwik Deswal as a backup to Suyash Sharma — a choice they clearly saw merit in — but Shukla felt like the more proven option. GT lack a wrist-spin backup for Rashid Khan, LSG have no safety net behind Digvesh, who is entering only his second season, and DC rely entirely on Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj, with no wrist-spin backup in the squad. All three teams had an obvious opening for Shukla.

Money Grewal (25y, RAP from Delhi)
Stats: 20 wickets (highest) at 7.81 ECO and 11 SR in Delhi Premier League 2025

Sunrisers Hyderabad needed a new-ball threat after releasing Mohammed Shami. While they picked prospects like Praful Hinge, Grewal’s recent dominance made him feel like a safer option. The leading wicket-taker in DPL 2025, Grewal swings the new ball, operates decently at the death, and has also served as RCB’s net bowler during IPL 2024.

The Odd Strategy

DC and Michael Bracewell (34y, LHB+off-spin)

Delhi Capitals made a rather perplexing move right at the end of the auction by picking Kyle Jamieson. With Dushmantha Chameera and Lungi Ngidi already in the squad, they had ample overseas pace backup.

What DC actually needed was a lower-order batter who could bowl a bit of spin. Michael Bracewell fit this profile perfectly. Instead of stacking up on a third overseas seamer as backup, Bracewell would have offered better balance and a genuine hitting option at No. 7.

Whether these omissions come back to haunt certain franchises will be revealed over the season — but on paper, these were opportunities left on the table.