The Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council has finalized the roster of players who will be up for bidding at the upcoming auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16. A total of 350 cricketers have made the final shortlist and will go under the hammer as all ten franchises hunt for reinforcements ahead of the new season. While names such as Cameron Green, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Jamie Smith and Quinton de Kock are driving most of the pre-auction chatter, another player has unexpectedly captured fan interest. That cricketer is Nikhil Chaudhary, an all-rounder currently based in Australia, whose presence in the ‘uncapped Indian all-rounders 5’ (UAL5) category has left many supporters scratching their heads. Chaudhary, listed with a base price of INR 40 lakh, has been registered under the Punjab Cricket Association.
Chaudhary’s cricketing journey began in India. He made his List A and T20 debuts for Punjab back in 2017, long before relocating to Australia. Now 29, he has built a substantial career in the Australian domestic structure, including the Big Bash League. Turning out for the Hobart Hurricanes, he has featured in 20 BBL matches, scoring 386 runs and claiming nine wickets. In the longer format, he has represented Tasmania in first-class cricket. He is also only the second Indian-origin player to feature in the BBL, following Unmukt Chand, having shifted his base to Australia in 2020. At this auction, teams will vie for 77 open roster slots, 31 of which are reserved for overseas signings. The highest base price remains INR 2 crore, with 40 players choosing to enter the auction at that tier. The event will begin at 2:30 PM IST next Tuesday. Initially, 1,390 cricketers had thrown their names into the ring, but only 350 made the final cut, including 240 Indians and 110 overseas players. The pool features 224 uncapped Indians and 14 uncapped overseas players. Franchise retention lists had already been announced earlier in the year.
