Expectations for IPL 2026 mini-auction Reach the firing range as you finalize ten franchise strategies to fill the remaining slots. A total of 350 players have been shortlisted to go under the hammer, all competing for the number 77 spot across the teams. Among those 77 spots, 31 are reserved for foreign players, setting the stage for a fierce bid for top international talent in particular. A is the registered Australian captain in the highest bracket of the base price of ₹ 2 crore Steve SmithThe last performers in the league in 2021. Ahead of the auction, the legendary South African Pacer Dale Steyn Smith’s Auction Fate has been pulled, suggesting the veteran batsman may not attract the aggressive bidding many expected.
Dale Steyn’s straight side gets Steve Smith’s IPL 2026 mini auction prospects
Dale Steyn, speaking on the Star sports video segment, provided a scathing assessment of Smith’s prospects in the IPL 2026 auction, with modern team management prioritizing current T20 form over fame and experience. It was introduced by Steynh: “Dale, I’m going to make some statements. If you agree, tell the truth. Or lie. Someone will bid very aggressively for Steve Smith just for the experience factor.” South Africa provides an explanation that immediately and strongly disagrees with this space, highlighting the evolving, data-driven nature of the IPL proposition.
Stein’s full answer: “Lie. I think teams are smart enough to understand how much money and how much money they want to offer, and I think Steven Smith will go to a team that, unfortunately, is cheap enough for him.” The prediction highlights the perceived gap between Smith’s undisputed Test pedigree and recent T20 currency, with the franchise’s role in the explosive T20 format often debated. Steyn’s point of view is to maximize teams’ purses with younger, power-hitting specialists, making smith’s ₹ 2 crore base price look more like a risk than a bargain.
Read: Revealed: Why Cameron Green’s IPL 2026 Bidding War Won’t Cross INR 18 Crores in Auction?
Steve Smith’s Rollercoaster IPL journey
Smith’s IPL career, leadership, occasional brilliance and a period of brilliance underneath, ultimately in the IPL 2025 mega-auction, his decline is a starker reminder of his T20 stock. Australia started as a leg-spinner before becoming one of Cricket’s Prime Ministers as a first-place finisher in the IPL, marked by the batting of its participants, including multi-franchise Pune Warriors, Rajasthan Royals (held), Rising pune Supergiant and Capitals of Delhi.
His statistical record is solid but not spectacular for the T20 format, playing over 100 matches and scoring close to 2,500 runs with a single century. However, his strikeout rate often sits below the explosive benchmark required of a top outside benchman, especially in the middle order.
After being released by Delhi after the 2021 season, Smith proved his talent by equaling his record for the most in 2025, forcing him to take a popular role and play in the bbl Big Bash League (BBL) centuries. Despite his status as one of the best batsmen in the world, this recent unsold record and ₹2 crore for the 2026 auction puts the seasoned promoter in a safe position to rely on the potential low sale price of the steinia.
