IPL 2026: Top 5 unsold players who delivered big in PSL

Every year, the Indian Premier League presents a huge platform for players from around the globe to showcase their talent against the best in the world. With 25 slots available to fill for every team, a large talent pool gets picked every season for the grandest T20 league in the world.

However, due to the maximum cap of eight foreign players in each squad, some names always miss out on being picked by the franchises and remain unsold at the auction. The Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) also saw several big names not attracting any bids, who later found their home in the Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026).

Here’s a look at five such players, who went unsold for IPL 2026 but performed exceptionally in PSL 2026:

1. Kusal Mendis

The Sri Lankan batter made it to the final list of players for the IPL 2026 mini auction, but due to a lack of interest from any team, his name wasn’t called out. Mendis was subsequently signed by Peshawar Zalmi for PKR 4.2 crore to play in the PSL 2026. The right-handed batter was a strong pillar of Peshawar’s batting lineup and finished as the second-highest run scorer of the season.

Mendis scored 550 runs from 11 innings at an average of 55 and a strike rate of 168.19, registering one hundred and four fifties. Courtesy of his efforts, Peshawar were crowned PSL champions for the second time in their history.

2. Steve Smith

The legendary Australia batter once again remained unsold at the IPL auction, having last played in the league in 2021. However, he scripted history at the PSL, becoming the most expensive player in the league, being signed for PKR 14 Crore by Multan Sultans.

Smith had a good first season in the Pakistani league, scoring 380 runs from 11 innings at an average of 34.54 and a strike rate of 161.70 with one hundred and two fifties to his name. Courtesy of his performance, Multan finished third on the PSL 2026 points table and were eventually knocked out in the Eliminator 1 fixture by Hyderabad Kingsmen.

3. Richard Gleeson

The England speedster was another name that went unsold at the IPL 2026 auction and was later picked up by Islamabad United for PKR 1.2 Crore. Gleeson had a good debut season at the PSL, scalping 12 wickets from nine innings at an average of 18.83 and an economy of 7.13 with best figures of 3/9.  His performances helped Islamabad finish second on the points table. However, they were eventually knocked out in the Eliminator 2 fixture by Hyderabad Kingsmen.

4. Devon Conway

The Kiwi opener was surprisingly not picked at the IPL 2026 mini auction and was later acquired by Islamabad United as a direct signing for PKR 6.3 Crore. Conway also had a good first season at the PSL, finishing as the second-highest run scorer for Islamabad. He accumulated 315 runs from 11 innings at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 129.09 with two fifties.

5. Michael Bracewell

The Kiwi all-rounder was another notable name to go unsold at the IPL 2026 auction, with no team willing to bid for his skills. However, Bracewell was picked up by Peshawar Zalmi for the PSL 2026 for PKR 4.2 Crore. The 35-year-old played a pivotal role in his team’s triumph, scoring 190 runs from eight innings at an average of 27.14 and a strike rate of 172.72. Apart from that, he also scalped five wickets with the ball, with best figures of 3/18.