IPL 2026 Auction: Telugu Players Face Disappointment, Only One Gets a Call

The IPL 2026 mini auction held in Abu Dhabi was a very regrettable day for the Telugu cricketers as only one player was able to get a contract. All of the 18 Telugu players that were offered for sale had their hopes pinned on the all-rounder Aman Rao from Hyderabad who was eventually bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹30 lakh, his base price.

The fans were left dissatisfied with the result, particularly as the franchises, despite the players' good domestic performance, did not show much interest in the players from the Telugu speaking states.

SRH Neglect Local Talent Again

Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL team which has a very deep connection with the Telugu fan base, did not select any Telugu player in the auction. Although the team added eight players of lesser fame, on the other hand, they just turned a blind eye to the local talent. Even Delhi Capitals which is Telugu owned did not consider the players from this region.

This has once again stirred up the discussion about the lack of representation of Telugu cricketers in the IPL particularly about the franchises that are associated with the region.

Domestic Performers Go Unsold

A few players regardless of their impressive performances in domestic cricket, were neglected even though they had a low base price of ₹30 lakh. Among them were Rahul Buddhi, Tanay Thyagarajan, Aaron George Varghese, Rakshan Reddy, Manish Reddy, Nishant Saranu, Arfaz Mohammed, Nitin Sai Yadav and Chama Milind.

The experienced wicketkeeper from Andhra Pradesh, KS Bharat, was again the most unlucky player in the auction. No team selected him even though his starting price was ₹75 lakh. The other Telugu players who went unsold are Ricky Bhui, Satyanarayana Raju, Yarra Prithvi Raj, Bailapudi Yashwanth, Dheeraj Kumar, Maram Reddy Hemanth Reddy, and Sadhikh Hussain.

Fans Express Anger

Fans took to social media to express their frustration, particularly targeting Sunrisers Hyderabad. Many questioned why a Telugu-based franchise continues to overlook players from the region. “Shouldn’t Telugu players get a chance in a Telugu franchise?” became a common sentiment online.

Players Bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad signed the following players at the IPL 2026 mini auction:

Liam Livingstone – ₹13 crore

Jack Edwards – ₹3 crore

Salil Arora – ₹1.50 crore

Shivam Mavi – ₹75 lakh

Shivang Kumar – ₹30 lakh

Cranes Fullatra – ₹30 lakh

Saqib Hussain – ₹30 lakh

Omkar Tarmale – ₹30 lakh

Praful Hinge – ₹30 lakh

Amit Kumar – ₹30 lakh

Indian Premiere League 2026 has recently come under fire for its inability to give opportunities to Telugu players even after competitive performances; this reservation raises a question on how talent can be observed and regional representation can be made legitimate.