Punjab’s Nikhil Chaudhary has become the centre of a surprising IPL 2026 discussion. The 29-year-old all-rounder, who accidentally got stuck in Australia during the COVID lockdown and built his cricketing career there, was unexpectedly listed as a local uncapped Indian player (UAL5) for the IPL 2026 Auction. This raised eyebrows because Nikhil has not played domestic cricket in India for six years and is now an established performer for Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, with a recent first-class hundred for Tasmania. He has also played in the Global Super League, the Abu Dhabi T10, and the Max60 Caribbean.
According to IPL rules, a domestic player must not be contracted in foreign leagues, which clearly doesn’t apply to Nikhil Chaudhary. Wisden has now confirmed it was an IPL listing error, and Nikhil will participate in the IPL 2026 Auction as an overseas player. Similarly, Miles Hammond—also mistakenly listed as local—will remain an overseas entrant.
Even the biggest leagues make small mistakes, but this one certainly caught the cricket world’s attention.
