IPL 2026 auction: From Umesh Yadav to Jalaj Saxena - Top 5 oldest players to register for bidding-war in Abu Dhabi

The buzz around the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction is heating up as Abu Dhabi gears up to witness the bidding war for the first time in history. A total of 1,390 players had registered for the auction, with the Governing Council pruning the list to the final 350 players.

Out of them, 240 are Indian and 110 are overseas recruits who will fight out for 77 vacant slots (31 reserved for overseas players) in the IPL 2026 auction. While most of the entries have been from the 25- 35 age group, there are a few nearing 40, hoping to get one more shot at the league.

Jalaj Saxena — 39

Jalaj Saxena will be entering the IPL 2026 auction as the oldest player at the age of 39. Having dominated the Indian domestic cricket in the past two decades with 7000-plus runs and nearly 500 wickets in first-class cricket, Saxena is yet to cement a spot in any franchise in the IPL. The dependable all-rounder has set his base price at ₹40 lakh.

Saxena has been a part of IPL since 2014 and shared the dressing rooms of Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Interestingly, Saxena's IPL career has been limited to just one match when he made his debut in the world's richest league for Punjab Kings, conceding 27 runs in three overs. He didn't bat in that game.

Currently at the twilight of his career, franchises could use Saxena as a dependable backup all-rounder.

Umesh Yadav — 38

The India fast bowler, known for his pace, is a veteran of 148 IPL games during his career. At 38, Umesh is one of the oldest players to grab the eyeballs of franchises, who is known for his ability to bowl quick and extract movement with the new ball.

The highlight of Umesh's career came in 2012 and 2018 when he took 19 and 20 wickets respectively for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He last appeared for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024, picking up eight wickets in seven matches.

Umesh went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction. Recently, he has been recalled by Vidarbha for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has set his base price at ₹1.5 crore.

Richard Gleeson — 38

Known for dismissing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant in his first eight balls in T20Is, England seamer Richard Gleeson will be one of the oldest names in the IPL 2026 auction. Having made his professional debut at 27, it took seven years for Gleeson to be on the international stage.

Since then, Gleeson has gathered experience playing in several franchise leagues globally before making his IPL debut in 2024 with Chennai Super Kings. The next year, Gleeson was a part of Mumbai Indians. In total, Gleeson played three matches, taking two wickets in total.

In the IPL 2026 auction, the 38-year-old Gleeson will enter with a base price of ₹75 lakh.

Karn Sharma — 38

At 38, leg-spinner Karn Sharma will enter the IPL 2026 auction on the back of consistent performances in the history of the tournament. The Meerut-born cricketer played 90 matches in the IPL, taking 83 wickets. Having made his IPL debut in 2014, Sharma has been a utility player, with the ability to stem opposition run flow at crucial junctures.

In his 11 years of IPL, Sharma has played for teams such as Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In IPL 2025, Sharma picked up seven wickets in six games.

Dwaine Pretorius — 37

The South African will enter the IPL 2026 auction at the age of 37, making him one of the oldest to enter the bidding war. With experience of playing T20 franchise leagues globally, Pretorius made his IPL debut with Chennai Super Kings in 2022.

In his two seasons, Pretorius played seven games and bagged six wickets in total. He will enter IPL 2026 auction at a base price of ₹1 crore.