Uncapped all-rounder from J&K is purchased by DC for a whopping ₹8.4 crore at IPL 2026 auction

Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Auqib Nabi fetched a massive bid of ₹8.4 crore by the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. This record bid makes him one of the most expensive uncapped player signings in the tournament's history.

Auqib Nabi entered the auction with massive hype and form around him, and along expected lines, his name triggered a massive bidding war among franchises. Delhi Capitals and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) initially traded bids from the INR 30 Lakh base price, before Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) entered the fray for a brief while.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) entered the proceedings with intent and almost went all the way, but had to bow out as DC made the winning bid of INR 8.40 crore. The franchise had acquired a couple of overseas signings in the form of David Miller and Ben Duckett in the early stages of the auction before going all out for Auqib Nabi.

The player is coming on the back of an excellent 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy group stage campaign, where he took 15 wickets in seven matches at an average of 13.26 and an economy rate of 7.41.

Auqib Nabi becomes the joint-seventh most expensive uncapped player in IPL Auction History

The Jammu and Kashmir star is now the joint seventh most uncapped player in IPL Auction History, with his price tag of 8.40 crore on par with what Varun Chakaravarthy had fetched from the Kings XI Punjab (now renamed as Punjab Kings) in 2019.

The record for the most expensive uncapped player was with Avesh Khan after the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) acquired him for INR 10 crore in 2022, but the record has now been shattered as Prasanth Veer fetched a mind-boggling sum of INR 14.20 crore in the IPL 2026 Auction.