The IPL 2026 auction is less than two months away, and all franchises need to submit their retention picks by November 15. That being said, the teams will look to rebuild their respective squads for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Notably, South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj could also enter the mini auction.
The 35-year-old has been on a roll, scalping 14 wickets in his last six white-ball appearances. His recent heroics include a four-wicket haul against England, following the stunning fifer in Australia. Moreover, he has grabbed even more eyeballs with an astonishing seven-wicket haul in the first innings of the Pakistan vs South Africa 2nd Test.
The current run of form might push several IPL franchises to include the bowler in their squad. Let’s take a look at three such teams that might be interested in acquiring Maharaj in the IPL 2026 auction.
The Rajasthan Royals had previously acquired Maharaj for his base price of INR 50 lakh ahead of the IPL 2024. But he represented them in only two matches of that edition, scalping as many wickets at an impressive economy of 6.50.
Coming into the IPL 2026 auction, the franchise is expected to go through quite a few major changes following their IPL 2025 debacle. The fans might see the Royals releasing star Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga prior to the next season. This move would create the perfect space for Maharaj to make a comeback for his former IPL franchise.
Another team, which could not live up to their expectations in the last season of the cash-rich league, was the Sunrisers Hyderabad. After a runners-up finish in the IPL 2024 Final, they managed only six victories out of 14 group-stage matches in the subsequent season.
Notably, they had roped in star Australian spinner Adam Zampa for INR 2.40 crore. But the 33-year-old was ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury after bagging two wickets in as many fixtures at an expensive economy rate of 11.75. Thus, the Orange Army could consider bidding for the Proteas spinner to replace the Aussie player for the forthcoming IPL season.
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The IPL 2025 finalists, Punjab Kings, would want to stick with their core group of players following a smashing last season. But the franchise might opt to release their star spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, before heading towards the IPL 2026 auction.
Earlier, PBKS had spent a huge amount of INR 18 crore to rope in the former RR player. However, the 35-year-old registered an average stat of just 16 scalps in 14 matches at an economy of 9.55. His mediocre IPL 2025 numbers and the massive price tag might push the management to look towards the South African spinner.
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