3 teams who should target Wiaan Mulder in IPL 2026 Auction ft. CSK

South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder will be one of the sought-after names in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. The 27-year-old has registered himself for a base price of ₹1 crore.

Mulder has a wealth of experience in T20s, having played in SA20, Vitality Blast, and the now-defunct Mzansi Super League. He was bought by the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) as a replacement for Brydon Carse (injured) in the last IPL season. He, however, played just one match in the T20 league.

The all-rounder has amassed 2,181 runs in 129 T20 matches at a strike rate of 132.58, including 12 half-centuries. With the ball, the medium-pacer has bagged 67 wickets at an economy rate of 8.57.

Apart from T20s, Mulder has 14 first-class centuries. The right-handed batter slammed a record unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe in Tests this year. In addition, he has represented the Proteas in all three formats of the game.

Wiaan Mulder. Source: Getty

Here are three teams that are likely to bid for Wiaan Mulder at the IPL 2026 auction:

Chennai Super Kings

The five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have only four all-rounders, including one overseas player, Jamie Overton, ahead of the 2026 auction. With five overseas slots available, the Super Kings might look to purchase Wiaan Mulder owing to his low base price. Earlier this year, CSK’s SA20 franchise Joburg Super Kings bought Mulder for R9 million, making him the third-most-expensive player at the 2026 auction.

The Chennai-based franchise has a history of trusting Proteas players, including Dwaine Pretorius, Faf du Plessis, and Albie Morkel. They also make the most of their medium pacers in the power play, especially at Chepauk Stadium.

Lucknow Super Giants

Like CSK, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have only one overseas all-rounder, Mitchell Marsh, ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. With ₹22.95 in their purse, the Lucknow-based franchise has six slots to fill, including four overseas spots. Wiaan Mulder can be the fourth overseas choice in the playing XI after Aiden Markram, Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran.

The medium pacer can be a four-over bowler for the franchise alongside Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, and Shahbaz Ahmed, among others. He can also provide stability with the bat in the lower order, which is heavily reliant on Abdul Samad and Shahbaz Ahmed for finishing games.

Rajasthan Royals

With Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran among the three available all-rounders ahead of IPL 2026 auction, Wiaan Mulder can be a backup choice for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Notably, the Jaipur-based franchise has already filled seven out of their eight overseas slots.

With ₹16.05 crore in their purse, RR will look to spend wisely for their vacant nine slots. Thus, Wiaan Mulder could fit into their scheme of things. He can walk straight into the playing XI if Sam Curran gets injured or unavailable. Notably, Curran failed to live up to expectations for CSK last season, scoring 114 runs and taking just one wicket in five games.