Published: December 13, 2025 at 11:12 am
Uncapped players will be the cynosure of all at the TATA IPL 2026 mini auction
to be held on December 16. The spotlight is likely to fall on exciting talents like Yash Dhull, Sairaj Patil, Salman Nizar, Tushar Raheja and Sarthak Ranjan. These players have impressed across domestic leagues, and the franchisees could be interested in grabbing them.
Kerala all-rounder Salman Nizar has caught the eye of former India stumper Saba Karim, who says the player has the power to big shots and is a good bet for any franchisee. “Salman Nizar’s credentials are clear from how he has batted in the Kerala Cricket League. He has the power and the clarity to hit big shots. When you find a batter like him with so much promise, where do you place him? I think any IPL franchise looking for an explosive number five or number six batter will definitely consider Salman Nizar in the auction,” Karim said on TATA IPL Auction’ show.
Yash Dhull’s journey is inspiring: Chopra
Yash Dhull has been in good form during the Delhi Premier League
Yash Dhull is another player to look out and former India opener Aakash Chopra rates him quite high. Chopra said the Delhi Premier League (DPL) did a lot of good to Dhull, who scored heavily in that tournament.
“Yash Dhull’s journey is quite inspiring. He was touted as an upcoming youngster who would play for India soon. That dream has not happened yet, but he keeps making runs. He uses every opportunity he gets, wherever he plays. Sometimes it is very important to stay relevant for a long time, so that when an opportunity comes, people think of him,” Chopra said.
“This season of the Delhi Premier League was quite good for him with the bat where he scored tons of runs and those performances will certainly help him in the IPL. He’s an Under-19 world cup winner and as far as IPL is concerned, he was picked by the Delhi Capitals a few seasons ago and was given some chances too but he wasn’t able to capitalize on them. I think Dhull is ticking all those boxes and keeping himself in the thoughts of everybody who’s following the sport with his DPL performances,” Chopra added.
Sairaj Patil detailed the steps he has taken to get closer to an IPL selection. “I got a lot of opportunities. I went on a UK tour with Mumbai Indians. Later, I was a net bowler for them. Recently, I went to the Indian Capitals’ camp. I go to every other team’s trials every year. I know I am very close to being picked. But I needed a push. My performances in the Mumbai T20 league have given me that push. My top three favourite IPL teams are MI, CSK, and RCB,” he stated.
Hard to ignore Raheja, says Mukund
Tushar Raheja’s explosive batting will be a boon for any IPL franchisee
Abhinav Mukund said Tushar Raheja is ready to explode in the IPL. “Many think Tushar Raheja is young, but he has played in the TNPL for almost seven or eight seasons. He focuses on making big scores, and that stood out this season. He hits the ball well in the powerplay and plays spin very well. He smashed bowlers like Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravichandran Ashwin all over the ground. This is a player who earlier could not make the Tamil Nadu team. But with these performances, it will be hard to ignore him. I believe he has what it takes to succeed in the IPL. He strikes the ball well and hits big sixes. He is also a wicketkeeper, which adds to his value. It is a tough position to get into as an Indian opener, and you need extraordinary skill. But why not? We have seen players like Priyansh Arya make it big. Tushar Raheja definitely has the game, and I am sure some franchises will think about investing in him,” Mukund said.
Ranjan is a fearless batter: Reema
“Sarthak Ranjan is a fearless batter who plays the ball on its merit. The shots he played in this season of the Delhi Premier League were amazing to see. He would have certainly caught the eye of IPL scouts. Franchises will get a pure T20 batter in him, who not only scores in the powerplay but can also bat deep into the innings,” said Reema Malhotra on the show.
