The IPL 2026 auction will take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16. The final list includes 359 players who will go under the hammer. This will be the 19th edition of the tournament, which began in 2008. RCB are the defending champions, while MI and CSK share the record for the most titles. Rajasthan Royals won the very first edition.
Why Is Vijay Shankar Listed As An Uncapped Player?
Out of the 359 players, 245 are Indian, and 114 are overseas. Also, 244 of them are uncapped players. One of those uncapped players is Vijay Shankar. But wait, he has played for India before. So, how is he considered uncapped? Is it a system glitch or an error by the organisers?
What Is The Amended IPL Rule On Uncapped Players?
There is actually no mistake at all. Shankar is eligible to be an uncapped player. This is because of a new rule implemented by the BCCI before the 2024 mega-auction. The rule states that an Indian player who has not played international cricket in the five calendar years preceding an auction becomes uncapped.
Vijay Shankar Is Eligible To Be An Uncapped Player
Shankar qualifies because he has not represented India in any format since 2019. His last international appearance was against the West Indies in the 2019 ODI World Cup. He has played 12 ODIs and nine T20Is for India. His international debut came in a T20I against Sri Lanka in 2018.
Since he has not played for India in over six years, he can now participate in the auction as an uncapped player. Under the same rule, even MS Dhoni falls under the uncapped category as he too last played for India in 2019.
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What Does The IPL Rule State?
“A capped Indian player will become uncapped if the player has, in the last five calendar years preceding the year in which the relevant Season is held, not played in the starting XI in International Cricket (Test match, ODI, Twenty20 International) or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI. This will be applicable for Indian Players only,” the rule states.
Vijay Shankar’s IPL Numbers
In IPL 2025, Shankar played for CSK after being bought in the mega-auction for Rs. 1.2 crore. He scored 118 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 129.67. CSK finished last and released him, along with 10 other players, in November.
Shankar has also played for GT, SRH, and DC. Across 65 innings in 78 games, he has scored 1233 runs at an average of 26.23 and a strike rate of 129.78. He has seven fifties, with a personal best of 69 not out. Shankar has also taken nine wickets with an economy rate of 8.67, and his best bowling figures are 2/19.
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