With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction coming up soon, and the retention list already released earlier this month, teams will now focus on filling their remaining slots to complete their squads. Since this is a mini-auction, there won’t be too many options available, but several overseas pacers who were released will be in the auction, along with some fast bowlers who have performed well this year.
Many teams will be looking to target these pacers, some as backups and others as part of their main lineup. Let’s take a look at the five overseas pacers who will attract big attention in the IPL 2026 auction.
The IPL 2026 retention list was released on 15th November, and one of the most unexpected decisions was Chennai Super Kings letting go of Matheesha Pathirana. CSK had earlier retained him for INR 13 crore before the 2025 mega auction, but after a disappointing season, they chose not to retain him this time.
The Sri Lanka fast bowler picked up 13 wickets in 12 matches last season, but his economy rate was quite high at 10.13. His international form has also dropped. Even so, he has shown his talent in the league, and because of that, many teams are expected to go after him in the IPL 2026 auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders bought the South African pacer for INR 6.50 crore in the mega auction, but his season didn’t go well because of fitness problems. He could play only two matches, took one wicket, and had an expensive economy rate of 11.85. So KKR releasing him was expected.
Nortje has now returned from injury and performed well in the CSA T20 Challenge, where he took nine wickets in six games with an economy of 7.07. He is set to make a comeback in international cricket after being picked for the T20I series against India. With his experience and pace, he will still be a player many teams look to sign.
New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry could also be one of the overseas pacers many teams will look to target in the auction. He recently took four wickets in an ODI against West Indies and has been in good form both in international cricket and T20 leagues.
In the T20 Blast earlier this year, he picked up 16 wickets in 10 matches, and in The Hundred, he took four wickets in two games. In ODIs, he has 31 wickets from 13 matches, and in T20Is, he has 14 wickets in 11 games. He may not go for a very high price, but several teams will still be keen to sign him in the IPL 2026 auction.
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Jacob Duffy, the Kiwi pacer, has been in impressive form this year. In T20Is, he has picked up 35 wickets in 21 matches, including a four-fer in his most recent game. He has also performed well in ODIs, claiming 21 wickets in 11 matches in 2025.
Earlier this year he took 10 wickets in eight matches in the T20 Blast and eight wickets in seven games in The Hundred.
With many teams looking for an overseas pacer in the auction, Jacob Duffy could be a strong option and might even make his IPL debut.
Mustafizur Rahman from Bangladesh could also attract bids in the IPL 2026 auction. Last season, he was brought in by Delhi Capitals as a temporary replacement during the later stages of the tournament, where he took four wickets in three matches. Delhi had to release him because temporary replacement players cannot be retained as per IPL rules.
He had a strong season in 2024 with Chennai Super Kings, taking 14 wickets in nine matches. Overall, he has 65 wickets in 60 IPL games. In 2025, he has also been in good form in T20Is, picking up 23 wickets in 17 matches.
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