3 teams who should target Jonny Bairstow in IPL 2026 Auction ft. KKR

England's Jonny Bairstow will be one of the wicketkeepers to watch out for in the IPL 2026 auction, scheduled in Abu Dhabi on December 16. The 36-year-old has registered himself for a base price of INR 1 crore and brings a wealth of international experience.

Bairstow has played 100 Tests, 107 ODIs, and 80 T20Is for England, scoring 11,581 runs across three formats. In T20s, the swashbuckling opener has 6,000 runs in 248 T20s at a strike rate of 139.17, including five centuries and 31 fifties.

The Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batter has played in numerous T20 leagues like SA20, ILT20, The Hundred, and Vitality Blast. In IPL, he enjoys a decent track record, amassing 1,674 runs in 52 games at a strike rate of 146.07, hitting two centuries and nine fifties. Last season, the right-handed batter hit 47 (22) and 38 (24) against the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS), respectively, after being bought as a replacement player ahead of the playoffs.

Jonny Bairstow in action during IPL 2025. Source: Getty

Here are three teams that might bid for him at the IPL 2026 auction:

Kolkata Knight Riders

After releasing Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will now look to buy at least two wicketkeepers at the IPL 2026 auction. The Knight Riders will benefit from Bairstow's dual roles, including opening the innings.

The three-time IPL champions struggled with de Kock's slump in form last season. They need a stable opener because Sunil Narine usually plays the role of an aggressor at the top. With Bairstow, they can make the most of the power play.

In Bairstow, they will get a full-term player since he hasn't played international cricket for the last few years. Notably, KKR will enter the auction with the highest purse of INR 64.3 crore. They have 13 available slots, including six overseas spots.

Mumbai Indians

With Ryan Rickelton's recent dip in form, MI might look towards Jonny Bairstow for a full-term role in IPL 2026. Additionally, the five-time champions have an inexperienced backup wicketkeeper, Robin Minz. They are unlikely to play him the entire season, even if the situation demands it. Bairstow showed highlights of his talent by walking straight into the playoffs last season. With 16 stumpings and 131 catches in T20s, he's equally effective behind the stumps.

The franchise has the lowest purse of INR 2.75 crore, but enough to re-buy Bairstow, subject to other teams' bidding at the auction.

Punjab Kings

Jonny Bairstow's best memory with Punjab Kings (PBKS) would be the highest-ever chase in IPL history. Notably, Punjab chased down 262 against KKR in 18.4 overs in IPL 2024. In that game, Bairstow scored an unbeaten 108 off 48 balls, helping the side seal an eight-wicket win.

With inexperienced Vishnu Vinod as the backup wicketkeeper batter for Prabhsimran Singh, PBKS can buy Bairstow as a backup option. If the situation demands, he can play in the middle order, having scored 506 runs in 24 T20Is for England. Having released Josh Inglis, Bairstow will be a like-for-like replacement in the playing XI. The Punjab-based franchise has a purse of INR 11.5 crore with four slots to fill, including two overseas spots.