IPL 2027 auction
Looking for an IPL 2027 bargain among ten familiar faces
Aneurin Donald has hit seventy sixes in 28 innings and won two England caps in the last week. He has still never been bought at an IPL auction.
Donald is among ten players who could offer value at December’s IPL 2027 mini-auction, if they reach the pool. Four have never been bought at an IPL auction.
| Player | Projected fee (est.) | Our valuation (est.) | Country | Age at auction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aneurin Donald | ₹2.5 cr | ₹27 cr | England | 29 |
| Mitchell Owen | ₹4 cr | ₹27 cr | Australia | 25 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | ₹6.5 cr | ₹19 cr | Sri Lanka | 29 |
| Blessing Muzarabani | ₹4 cr | ₹14.5 cr | Zimbabwe | 30 |
| Mohsin Khan | ₹1.5 cr | ₹10.5 cr | India | 28 |
| Scott Currie | ₹1 cr | ₹10.5 cr | England | 25 |
| Nathan Ellis | ₹3.5 cr | ₹9.5 cr | Australia | 32 |
| Steve Smith | ₹4 cr | ₹8 cr | Australia | 37 |
| Adam Zampa | ₹3 cr | ₹8 cr | Australia | 34 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | ₹3.5 cr | ₹7 cr | Sri Lanka | 26 |
Aneurin Donald brings powerplay hitting
Derbyshire · Batter · Projected fee: ₹2.5 crore
Nobody in men’s T20 who has faced 400 balls over the last two years has scored faster than Donald. His strike rate is 222; the closest challenger is Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the teenager who has lit up the IPL, at 221.6.
Donald has made 785 powerplay runs at a strike rate of 222, against the Blast powerplay average of 143. That is a strong case for giving him an IPL opening slot.
Almost every run has come in the Blast, a level below the IPL. His England career is only two innings old, both against Sri Lanka. Even allowing for the weaker opposition, our valuation reaches the record fee of ₹27 crore. Anywhere near his projected price would buy an awful lot of powerplay hitting.
Mitchell Owen has earned an opening slot
Hobart Hurricanes · All-rounder · Projected fee: ₹4 crore
Owen made 108 off 42 balls in the BBL|14 final as the Hurricanes won the title. His 155 off 68 for Washington Freedom in June supplied another reason to take his hitting seriously.
Over the last two years, he has scored 1,653 runs at a strike rate of 190. His IPL career amounts to a single game for Punjab Kings in May 2025, after they signed him outside the auction. He has never been bought at one.
His bowling has brought 39 wickets at an economy rate of 10.2. Those are sixth-bowler numbers, useful when a captain needs an occasional over. Pick him to open and let the batting justify his place.
Wanindu Hasaranga gives Lucknow a decision
Lucknow Super Giants · All-rounder · Projected fee: ₹6.5 crore
Lucknow bought Hasaranga for ₹2 crore at the last auction. He hasn’t played an IPL game since May 2025, yet the wickets have kept coming elsewhere.
He has taken 87 wickets in 68 games over the last two years, playing for Sri Lanka, Rajasthan Royals, Desert Vipers, Kandy Royals and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Across that cricket, his middle-overs economy rate is 7.6 against a competition benchmark of 8.0 for those overs.
Our ratings put him among the 15 best players likely to be available. With both Hasaranga and Mohsin Khan on their books, Lucknow’s retention decisions could give other franchises an opening.
Blessing Muzarabani makes batters wait
Zimbabwe · Bowler · Projected fee: ₹4 crore
Forty-six per cent of Muzarabani’s deliveries over the last two years have been dots, against 40% across men’s T20. That pressure has come alongside 65 wickets.
Plenty of those wickets came against associate nations in World Cup qualifying. His IPL experience is also limited to two games for Kolkata Knight Riders this year, after signing outside the auction.
His work for Gulf Giants in the ILT20 strengthens the case. Our ratings put him among the 25 best players available after allowing for the opposition. He offers a captain four overs of pressure at a manageable projected price.
Mohsin Khan could be the scarce Indian option
Lucknow Super Giants · Bowler · Projected fee: ₹1.5 crore
Only four overseas players fit in an IPL XI. Indian bowlers who take wickets without leaking runs are therefore among the first options to run short at auction, and Mohsin is our highest-rated uncapped Indian bowler.
Lucknow bought him for ₹20 lakh in 2022, and he has played 31 IPL games for them. His recent record is much thinner: eight T20 appearances over the last two years, bringing 12 wickets at an economy rate of 8.2.
A franchise will want to understand that lack of cricket before bidding. It also helps explain the low projected fee. If Lucknow release him in November, he is worth pursuing.
Scott Currie takes the difficult overs
Hampshire · Bowler · Projected fee: ₹1 crore
Currie has made the last five overs his job. Across the last two Blast seasons, his economy rate from the 16th over onwards is 8.4, against the competition average of 9.9. He has taken a wicket every nine balls in those overs, against every 11 across the Blast.
His 2026 season brought 26 wickets in 15 games at an economy rate of 7.5. England had already called him into their T20I squad in Ireland in September 2025 when Saqib Mahmood was injured, although he didn’t play. Born in Dorset, he had previously played three ODIs for Scotland in 2024, qualifying through his father.
Almost all his T20 work has come in the Blast. His only T20 experience abroad is two games for Dubai Capitals, so an IPL side would be backing him to carry that death bowling into a tougher competition. At his projected fee, the role makes him an attractive gamble.
Nathan Ellis gives a captain options
Hobart Hurricanes · Bowler · Projected fee: ₹3.5 crore
Ellis hasn’t played an IPL game since March 2025. His record over the last two years for Australia, the Hurricanes and Chennai Super Kings still makes a persuasive case for a return.
Across that cricket, his middle-overs economy rate is 7.2 against a competition benchmark of 8.6. In the powerplay, he concedes 7.7 an over against 8.4.
His death bowling is closer to par, with an economy rate of 9.0 against 9.1. A captain could use him throughout the innings without having to protect a particular phase.
Steve Smith has a case at three
Sydney Sixers · Batter · Projected fee: ₹4 crore
Smith hasn’t been bought at an IPL auction since Delhi Capitals paid ₹2.2 crore in 2021. At 37, he is easy to pass over, but his recent batting deserves another look.
He has scored 1,372 runs over the last two years at an average of 38 for the Sixers, Multan Sultans, Washington Freedom and Amsterdam Flames.
Across that cricket, his powerplay strike rate is 142 against a competition benchmark of 136. His stronger case comes from the middle overs: a strike rate of 158 against 133 from the seventh over to the fifteenth.
Bat him at three. That middle-overs scoring gives him a clear job, keeping an innings moving once the field spreads.
Adam Zampa can take charge of the middle
Hobart Hurricanes · Bowler · Projected fee: ₹3 crore
Sunrisers Hyderabad bought Zampa for ₹2.4 crore for 2025, and his last IPL appearance came that March. At 34, he moves to the Hurricanes this summer with a strong recent record behind him.
He has taken 82 wickets in 56 games over the last two years for Australia, the Renegades, Surrey, Karachi Kings, Sharjah Warriorz and Sunrisers. Across that cricket, his economy rate from the seventh over to the fifteenth is 7.7, against a competition benchmark of 8.5.
Give him those middle overs and leave the quicks to handle the rest. His role is straightforward, and his record supports it.
Maheesh Theekshana offers new-ball spin
Sri Lanka · Bowler · Projected fee: ₹3.5 crore
More than two in every five deliveries Theekshana has bowled over the last two years have come in the powerplay. Across his cricket for Sri Lanka and seven franchises, his economy rate in those overs is 8.2, close to the competition benchmark of 8.3.
He has been stronger in the middle overs, conceding 7.1 an over against 8.0. That gives a captain scope to start with spin and still keep overs back for later.
Rajasthan paid ₹4.4 crore for him in 2025. At 26, he offers experience in a role that can be difficult to fill: a spinner trusted with the new ball.
When is the IPL 2027 auction?
The BCCI hasn’t announced a date. Reports point to the third week of December 2026, with 16 December most often mentioned, and a venue in India.
It is a mini-auction, following the mega-auction before the 2025 season. Franchises name their released players in November; those decisions will determine which of these players reach the pool.