India, Dec. 16 -- The next time you see a reel of an unrecognised cricketer on your Instagram feed, put in some extra effort to remember the name as it might help you join the dots during an IPL Auction.

A few months ago, Izaz Sawariya's mornings began to change. Before stretching or thinking about training, the 20-year-old legspinner would reach for his phone, half-expecting a new notification. Ever since England spinner Adil Rashid started responding to his Instagram reels, checking social media had become a daily ritual - one that has now carried him all the way to the final list for the IPL 2026 auction.

Sawariya's name appears at No. 265 in the uncapped spinners' section for the auction in Abu Dhabi. In itself, that listing tells a...