While the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is still a number of months away, there is no denying that the franchises have already started preparing for it. The highly-anticipated IPL auction is likely to take place towards the end of the year and the franchises must be busy in finalising the list of players they would like to sign in order to bolster their squad for IPL 2026.
One player who can cause a bidding war in the upcoming auction is USA’s Monank Patel. The right-handed batsman has become the talk of the town after his recent batting exploits in the just-concluded Major League Cricket (MLC).
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Monank Patel’s impressive campaign:
Monank Patel, who is also the captain of the USA cricket team, impressed one and all with his consistent batting display in MLC 2025. He finished the season as the highest run-scorer ahead of the likes of Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran and other big names.
In 13 games, Patel scored 478 runs with the help of 4 fifties. 478 runs is now also the most runs scored by a batsman in a MLC season. He began his campaign with a stunning knock of 93 runs off just 50 balls for MI New York against Seattle Orcas. His knock helped MI New York start their campaign with a 7-wicket win. Since that knock, Patel did not look back and went on to help his side clinch the title.
IPL franchises on alert after Monank Patel’s impressive display:
With Patel impressing in MLC, the IPL franchises would be keen on securing his services for the next season. According to reports, a number of teams are interested in signing up the USA captain. Media reports state that Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad might go for the USA star.
However, it would be interesting to see Mumbai Indians’ stance on the player. The franchise already shares a good relationship with the player since he plays for their team in the MLC and the five-time IPL champions might win the race to sign him ahead of IPL 2026.