Top 5 oldest cricketers in the IPL 2026 auction pool

The BCCI recently announced the final list of 350 players who will go under the hammer at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16. Trimmed down from 1390 initial registrations, the list includes 240 Indian and 110 overseas players.

Several veterans—some absent from the league for years—have submitted their names hoping for one final opportunity. As franchises look to fill 77 remaining slots, these seasoned campaigners will hope their experience earns them another IPL contract.

Veteran Indian pacer Umesh Yadav, now 38, stands out as one of the oldest names in the IPL 2026 auction pool. Renowned for his pace and ability to move the ball across formats, Umesh has delivered consistently in the IPL, taking 144 wickets from 148 matches for multiple franchises.

At 39, Jalaj Saxena is set to be the oldest player in the upcoming auction, listed at a base price of Rs 40 lakh. A domestic cricket titan, Saxena has dominated the Ranji Trophy for nearly two decades and holds the distinction of being the first player to score 7000 runs and take 400 wickets in the competition.

England seamer Richard Gleeson also returns as one of the senior names in the 2026 auction. Gleeson, who entered professional cricket at 27 and made his international debut at 34, shot to fame after removing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant within his first eight T20I deliveries. His career has taken him through Northamptonshire, Lancashire, and various global leagues. Gleeson featured for Chennai Super Kings in 2024, impressing on debut, and was later shortlisted by Mumbai Indians as a playoff standby in 2025. Now 38, he enters the auction with a base price of Rs 75 lakh.

Another experienced name in the pool is 38-year-old leg-spinner Karn Sharma. The Meerut-born bowler gained attention in 2014 when Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for Rs 3.75 crore—the highest bid for an uncapped Indian at the time. Over the years, Karn has served SRH, MI, CSK, and RCB, earning a reputation as a dependable wicket-taker. With 83 wickets in 90 IPL games and seven strikes in six matches for Mumbai Indians in 2025 as an impact player, he remains a valuable option.

South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius, at 37, is another veteran set to feature at the auction. His career gained momentum late due to recurrent knee injuries, but he eventually made his mark—earning South Africa’s T20 Amateur Cricketer of the Year in 2011–12, securing a franchise contract in 2014–15, and representing his nation across formats. He holds South Africa’s best T20I bowling figures: 5 for 17 against Pakistan.