How Can Nikhil Chaudhary Play IPL as an Uncapped Indian Despite Playing in the BBL?

The stage is all set for the IPL 2026 auction, which is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16. The Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council on Tuesday, December 9, also released the list of players that will be going under the hammer. A total of 350 players have been shortlisted for the IPL auction 2026, out of which 240 are Indian players and 110 foreign players. Some of the big names, as well as a few exciting players, have registered their names, which in itself reveals what things are shaping up for this edition.

One of the names that will be under the spotlight will be Nikhil Chaudhary. The young all-rounder, since the last few seasons, has been shining with the bat and ball in BBL, and now it will great opportunity for him to make himself a great name in the IPL.

Why was Nikhil Chaudhary Uncapped Indian Player in IPL Auction 2026?

While the focus will be on Nikhil Chaudhary, one thing has caught the attention of many. In the auction, Nikhil Chaudhary uncapped Indian Player as an all-rounder, and this is happening despite being a regular feature in the Australian domestic circuit and BBL. Earlier, it was believed that there was a big loophole in the cricketing bodies of Australia and India regarding NOC and his playing, dependent on his citizenship, which allowed that he will be play IPL as an Uncapped Indian Player. However, later on, BCCI worked on this issue and corrected this mistake, and made him under Overseas Player for the IPL Auction 2026.

Nikhil Chaudhary BBL numbers have been great as he has been chipping in regularly with the bat as well as ball. Overall, his T20 numbers are decent as well as in 36 matches, he has scored 538 runs at a strike rate of 130, along with 16 wickets as well. Nikhil Chaudhary has registered himself under a base price of INR 40 lakh. He started his career in Delhi and then moved to Punjab, where he played his junior cricket and represented India at the Under-19 level.

However, despite that, he couldn’t find himself a team in the IPL. Then he, along with his family, moved to Australia in 2020 and stayed stuck because of COVID-19. He then started playing in Brisbane and eventually got a contract from the Hobart Hurricanes. Nikhil Chaudhary recently made his first-class debut for Tasmania in October earlier this year. He didn’t take long to make an impact as he slammed his maiden ton in his last match. This will increase his price in the IPL auction 2026 as well.

Nikhil Chaudhary IPL Auction 2026: Who Will Target?

Nikhil Chaudhary IPL auction 2026 will be one of the trending topics in the coming days. He will be a great addition to the team that picks him. It remains to be seen which side shows interest in him at the auction. There are chances that he could be picked by the Punjab Kings as well, because even Arshdeep Singh posted a story tagging PBKS to pick him after he did well in an Australian domestic match. There could be some of the other best teams in IPL that will target him.