5 franchises who could target Quinton de Kock in the IPL 2026 auction

Quinton de Kockthe explosive South African wicketkeeper-batsman, has established himself as a dominant force in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years. Known for his aggressive, smooth strokeplay at the top and his reliable glovework, he offers a rare combination of skills that are highly sought after by franchises.

De Kock has played for several teams, including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians (where he won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020), and Lucknow supergiantsbefore his most recent period Kolkata Knight Riders. In 115 IPL matches, he has amassed 3,309 runs at an average of 30.64 and a strong strike rate of 134.02, including two hundreds and 24 half-centuries.

In the recently released list of 350 players, who will go under the hammer in the IPL 2026 mini-auction, De Kock has been included in the base price category of INR 1 crore, making him an attractive and potentially valuable buy for teams looking to strengthen their top order and wicketkeeping department. On that note, let’s take a look at some of the teams that could target the Proteas star in the upcoming auction.

5 franchises who could go for Quinton de Kock in the IPL 2026 auction

1) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

• Remaining wallet: ₹64.3 cr
• Remaining slots: 13 (6 abroad)

KKR is in a dominant position with the largest remaining wallet and the most slots to fill. They are in dire need of a quality wicketkeeper-opener, a role that De Kock fills perfectly. Interestingly, KKR recently released him ahead of the retention filing deadline. A pattern often seen in IPL auctions is teams re-targeting their released players at a lower price, and given his reduced base price of ₹1 crore, KKR could look to re-acquire the South African star at a bargain price to fulfill a crucial selection requirement.

2) Capitals of Delhi (DC)

• Remaining wallet: ₹21.8 cr
• Remaining slots: 8 (5 abroad)

After the release of Faf du Plessis And Jake Fraser-McGurkDC needs an aggressive opening partner KL Rahul who can dominate the power game. De Kock’s natural attacking game makes him an ideal candidate to provide the fast starts that DC have lacked in their recent campaigns. Furthermore, De Kock has a history with the franchise, having played for the then Delhi Daredevils in 2014-2016, which provided a sense of familiarity. Their healthy wallet of ₹21.8 cr also gives them the financial flexibility to bid strongly for him.

3)Rajasthan Royals (RR)

• Remaining wallet: ₹16.05 cr
• Remaining slots: 9 (1 abroad)

With a limited auction purse and only one overseas slot left, Rajasthan Royals will be extremely focused on securing value-for-money signings to rebuild their squad following the departure of key players such as Sanju Samson (traded to CSK). De Kock, at a base price of ₹1 crore, offers the opportunity to fill the crucial foreign wicketkeeper-batter slot efficiently. His experience and ability to anchor or pace the innings would be invaluable to a somewhat depleted RR top order.

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4)Punjab Kings (PBKS)

• Remaining wallet: ₹11.5 cr
• Remaining slots: 4 (2 abroad)

With a stable core of retained players but a limited budget, Punjab Kings need to focus on acquiring a quality wicketkeeper-batsman. After the release of Josh Inglis (due to availability issues) PBKS needs an explosive wicketkeeper who can open the batting or provide top-level flexibility. De Kock’s reputation as a hard-hitting opener makes him a prime target to fill exactly this role for PBKS, allowing them to maximize their two available overseas slots.

5) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

• Remaining wallet: ₹25.5 cr
• Remaining slots: 10 (2 abroad)

While SRH already has a strong opening pair Travis Head And Abhishek Sharmacould they target De Kock as a reliable No. 3 batsman to stabilize the middle order or as a back-up wicketkeeping option for Hendrik Klaasen. De Kock has previously shown his versatility by batting outside the opening position. Given their sizeable remaining purse, SRH have the financial capacity to land him, adding a layer of depth and experience that could be crucial to their title aspirations, especially if one of their key openers or Klaasen suffers an injury or a dip in form.

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