Every IPL auction has its dramas, the bidding wars, the surprise millionaires, the bargain legends. From an initial 1390 registrations to a trimmed pool of 350 names, the IPL 2026 Auction has become a razor-edged test of a player’s T20 “value index,” not just their reputation. And in that brutal filtration, five names, each with legitimate credentials, form, or potential, have mysteriously slipped through the cracks.
This, despite a December 16 Abu Dhabi event where franchises will aggressively hunt specialists, finishers, uncapped talent, and overseas match-winners. Instead, the shortlist leaves glaring omissions: a South African in red-hot form, a proven Kiwi enforcer with a 160+ T20I strike rate, a West Indian tearaway, and two Indian batters who should’ve at least been on the radar.
Rassie van der Dussen: A Form Paradox the IPL Ignored
Rassie van der Dussen
If form is king in T20 cricket, then Rassie van der Dussen should’ve walked into this shortlist wearing a crown. Second-highest run-scorer in the CSA T20 Challenge, a solid CPL 2025 season, and years of experience in the format, yet not a whisper of his name on December 9.
His last IPL appearance was back in 2022 for the Rajasthan Royals, where he never truly got a run at a stable role. But players with far worse recent numbers have been shortlisted. For a 35-year-old batter still churning out impactful T20 returns, this feels less like oversight and more like a franchise preference shift: younger, power-hitting profiles and finishers often overshadow anchor-hybrids like Rassie. Still, in a league where teams have spent billions trying to “fix middle-order stability,” his exclusion is baffling.
Shaik Rasheed: A Rare Indian Talent Lost in the Shuffle
Shaik Rasheed
Uncapped Indian batters are auction gold, cheap, long-term, and strategically valuable. Which is why Shaik Rasheed’s absence makes zero sense.
Bishnoi made his IPL debut in 2025; he showed some promise before falling off, and then became one of the top run scorers for Andhra in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. Of course, Bishnoi’s performance did dip a little during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season; however, franchises have always backed high-ceiling domestic players with great potential in the past.
Jayden Seales: A Rising Quick Caught Between Formats
Jayden Seales
If you impress in a Test series in India as a pacer, you’re usually auction royalty. Jayden Seales did exactly that, leading a depleted West Indies attack with pace, bounce, and movement. Yet, here he is: omitted.
The reason seems obvious, but a flawed, limited T20 experience. But the IPL has never been shy about gambling on raw talent. Teams have spent fortunes on pace merchants with zero subcontinent experience. Seales, by contrast, just proved he can dominate Indian conditions.
Mark Chapman: The Perennial IPL Outsider
Mark Chapman
Over 200 T20 matches. A strike rate of 160 in T20Is in 2025. A regular in New Zealand’s XI. A versatile left-hander who can bat anywhere from No. 3 to No. 7, and still has zero IPL appearances, zero shortlist selection.
Chapman is one of the format’s most underappreciated Swiss-army bats. He’s the ideal modern bench pick: explosive, reliable, and tactically flexible. Even if not a marquee starter, he fits the modern IPL template as a matchup weapon against spin or as a powerplay pinch-hitter.
The excuse that overseas middle-order batters are “too many” doesn’t fly. Not with his numbers. Not with his experience. Not with his trajectory. His absence hints at a market bias that continues to favour all-rounders over specialist hitters.
Key Takeaway
The IPL’s most shocking stories this year aren’t the signings, they’re the absences.
FAQs
- What makes these five absentees surprising?
Because each had recent form, experience, or tactical value that usually guarantees at least shortlist consideration.
- Why do some in-form players still get ignored in IPL auctions?
Franchises now prioritise role-fit, upside potential, and long-term ROI over pure statistics.
- How could these omissions impact team strategies?
Teams lacking middle-order depth, domestic keepers, or fresh pace options may later regret overlooking these profiles.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.
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