Shreyas Iyer to attend IPL 2026 auction as Punjab Kings representative? Check details
The Indian Premier League 2026 Auction is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16. The deadline for franchises to inform the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of their auction representatives was Wednesday, December 10. Meanwhile, a significant update emerged before the auction: Shreyas Iyer, the current captain of Punjab Kings, is expected to represent the team at the auction instead of head coach Ricky Ponting, who will miss the auction due to his Ashes 2025/26 commentary commitments.
According to BCCI sources, the Punjab Kings have listed Shreyas Iyer among their representatives. As per BCCI and auction guidelines, a maximum of eight team members can be present inside the auction hall, with an additional six permitted outside, allowing teams to plan their representation strategically.
Ricky Ponting, former Australia captain and current Punjab Kings head coach, is unlikely to travel to Abu Dhabi. He is currently under contract with Seven Network in Australia for the ongoing Ashes 2025/26 commentary. The third test is scheduled to begin in Adelaide on December 17, the day after the auction, so he may be unable to attend.
Punjab Kings appointed Shreyas Iyer as their captain ahead of IPL 2025. They acquired Iyer for ₹26.75 crore in last year's mega auction. Under Iyer’s leadership, Punjab Kings reached the IPL 2025 final, where they lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 6 runs.
Punjab Kings currently have only 11.5 crore INR remaining in their purse and need to fill four slots, including two overseas slots. Before the auction, they released Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Kuldeep Sen, and Pravin Dubey.
Shreyas Iyer is currently out of the Indian team due to an injury. He sustained a serious rib injury while fielding in the third ODI against Australia a few months ago. His return to international cricket remains uncertain, with reports suggesting it could take approximately three to six months for recovery. His next ultrasound is scheduled for the second week of December.
Daniel Vettori to join the auction
Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori will travel to Abu Dhabi for the auction. He is also part of the Ashes 2025/26 commentary panel but will represent SRH in the auction. The Australian assistant coach has reportedly sought permission from Cricket Australia (CA) to travel to Abu Dhabi during the five-Test series, similar to last year when he was permitted to attend the auction in Jeddah during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25.
