The mega auction for IPL 2026 is scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. As things stand ahead of the mega auction, all ten IPL teams have retained a total of 173 players. That leaves 77 more slots, with a combined purse of ₹237.55 crore still remaining. While many new talents and in-form stars will be in demand with strong bids likely to come their way, several established names could find no bidders owing to poor form and low impact in recent times. 5 Star Players Who May Go Unsold at IPL 2026 Mini-Auction Mohit Sharma In no terms, the comeback of Mohit Sharma was interfered with when he made a re-entry in the Delhi Capitals' camp. For the kind of performance he had expected, the season went downhill for him since he could manage only 2 wickets in the 8 matches he appeared in, and his form had begun to be seriously divergent since 2023. Moreover, there were no domestic matches played by Mohit after IPL 2025, and that casts the question mark over his readiness. Since his pace and rhythm do not seem to be the same, many teams are likely to avoid taking that risk and leaving him unsold. Also Read | Is This the End of Glenn Maxwell in the IPL? Full Analysis Inside Glenn Maxwell Glenn Maxwell has never done justice to his reputation in the IPL. In the last two seasons combined, he managed to score just a little over 100 runs. For Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, Maxwell managed to score only 48 runs in 7 matches, which makes his case weak for the new season. Moreover, his performance in the leagues is completely different from his performance in international cricket, which makes him less committed in the eyes of management. Vijay Shankar CSK bought Vijay Shankar for ₹ 1.2 crores in the 2025 auction. He produced only 118 runs in 6 games with a strike rate of 129.67 and his bowling had little effect. His slow approach in the middle overs may go against him once again. With this being the mini-auction and most of the teams have retained their core, Vijay would probably won't find any buyer. Also Read | 4 Teams That Could Target David Miller in IPL 2026 Mini-Auction Deepak Hooda Deepak Hooda, once considered a fine all-rounder prospect, has been released by the CSK after having a bad run. Even with a T20I century for India, Hooda has not replicated that same effect in the IPL. Experts say he often plays T20 cricket with an ODI mindset, and his rough 2025 season adds more pressure before the auction. Faf du Plessis Faf du Plessis is also in trouble. RCB released him ahead of the mega auction, despite the fact that he scored 438 runs in 2024 and led the team to the playoffs. However, in IPL 2025, he managed only 202 runs for Delhi Capitals. At age 41, with his strike rate falling, teams may look for younger options; hence, he could be at risk of going unsold.