diff --git a/cmd/pod/create.go b/cmd/pod/create.go
index b0ce127..6300df7 100644
--- a/cmd/pod/create.go
+++ b/cmd/pod/create.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ var (
 	createImageName         string
 	createTemplateID        string
 	createComputeType       string
+	createMinCudaVersion    string
 	createGpuTypeID         string
 	createGpuCount          int
 	createVolumeInGb        int
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ func init() {
 	createCmd.Flags().StringVar(&createTemplateID, "template-id", "", "template id (use 'runpodctl template search' to find templates)")
 	createCmd.Flags().StringVar(&createImageName, "image", "", "docker image name (required if no template)")
 	createCmd.Flags().StringVar(&createComputeType, "compute-type", "GPU", "compute type (GPU or CPU)")
+	createCmd.Flags().StringVar(&createMinCudaVersion, "min-cuda-version", "", "minimum cuda version required for gpu pod placement")
 	createCmd.Flags().StringVar(&createGpuTypeID, "gpu-id", "", "gpu id (from 'runpodctl gpu list')")
 	createCmd.Flags().IntVar(&createGpuCount, "gpu-count", 1, "number of gpus")
 	createCmd.Flags().IntVar(&createVolumeInGb, "volume-in-gb", 0, "volume size in gb")
@@ -100,6 +102,9 @@ func runCreate(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if computeType == "CPU" && gpuTypeID != "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--gpu-id is not supported for compute type CPU")
 	}
+	if computeType == "CPU" && strings.TrimSpace(createMinCudaVersion) != "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--min-cuda-version is only supported for compute type GPU")
+	}
 
 	cloudType := strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(createCloudType))
 	if cloudType == "" {
@@ -157,12 +162,22 @@ func createPodGraphQL(gpuTypeID, cloudType string, supportPublicIP bool) (map[st
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	req, err := buildCreatePodGQLRequest(gpuTypeID, cloudType, supportPublicIP)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return gqlClient.CreatePod(req)
+}
+
+func buildCreatePodGQLRequest(gpuTypeID, cloudType string, supportPublicIP bool) (*api.CreatePodGQLInput, error) {
 	req := &api.CreatePodGQLInput{
 		CloudType:         cloudType,
 		ContainerDiskInGb: createContainerDiskInGb,
 		GpuCount:          createGpuCount,
 		GpuTypeId:         gpuTypeID,
 		ImageName:         createImageName,
+		MinCudaVersion:    strings.TrimSpace(createMinCudaVersion),
 		Name:              createName,
 		StartSsh:          createSSH,
 		SupportPublicIp:   supportPublicIP,
@@ -198,7 +213,7 @@ func createPodGraphQL(gpuTypeID, cloudType string, supportPublicIP bool) (map[st
 		}
 	}
 
-	return gqlClient.CreatePod(req)
+	return req, nil
 }
 
 func createPodREST(computeType, gpuTypeID, cloudType string, supportPublicIP bool) (*api.Pod, error) {
diff --git a/cmd/pod/create_test.go b/cmd/pod/create_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0a32e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/pod/create_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+package pod
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestCreateCmd_HasMinCudaVersionFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	flag := createCmd.Flags().Lookup("min-cuda-version")
+	if flag == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected min-cuda-version flag")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildCreatePodGQLRequest_IncludesMinCudaVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	origName := createName
+	origImage := createImageName
+	origTemplateID := createTemplateID
+	origMinCudaVersion := createMinCudaVersion
+	origGpuCount := createGpuCount
+	origVolumeInGb := createVolumeInGb
+	origContainerDiskInGb := createContainerDiskInGb
+	origVolumeMountPath := createVolumeMountPath
+	origSSH := createSSH
+	origPorts := createPorts
+	origEnv := createEnv
+	origDataCenterIDs := createDataCenterIDs
+	origNetworkVolumeID := createNetworkVolumeID
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		createName = origName
+		createImageName = origImage
+		createTemplateID = origTemplateID
+		createMinCudaVersion = origMinCudaVersion
+		createGpuCount = origGpuCount
+		createVolumeInGb = origVolumeInGb
+		createContainerDiskInGb = origContainerDiskInGb
+		createVolumeMountPath = origVolumeMountPath
+		createSSH = origSSH
+		createPorts = origPorts
+		createEnv = origEnv
+		createDataCenterIDs = origDataCenterIDs
+		createNetworkVolumeID = origNetworkVolumeID
+	})
+
+	createName = "cuda-pod"
+	createImageName = "runpod/test"
+	createTemplateID = ""
+	createMinCudaVersion = "12.6"
+	createGpuCount = 1
+	createVolumeInGb = 50
+	createContainerDiskInGb = 25
+	createVolumeMountPath = "/workspace"
+	createSSH = true
+	createPorts = "22/tcp"
+	createEnv = `{"A":"1"}`
+	createDataCenterIDs = "DC-1,DC-2"
+	createNetworkVolumeID = "nv-123"
+
+	req, err := buildCreatePodGQLRequest("NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090", "SECURE", false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if req.MinCudaVersion != "12.6" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected min cuda version, got %q", req.MinCudaVersion)
+	}
+	if req.DataCenterId != "DC-1" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected first data center id, got %q", req.DataCenterId)
+	}
+	if req.NetworkVolumeId != "nv-123" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected network volume id, got %q", req.NetworkVolumeId)
+	}
+	if len(req.Env) != 1 || req.Env[0].Key != "A" || req.Env[0].Value != "1" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected env payload: %#v", req.Env)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunCreate_RejectsMinCudaVersionForCPU(t *testing.T) {
+	origTemplateID := createTemplateID
+	origImage := createImageName
+	origComputeType := createComputeType
+	origGpuTypeID := createGpuTypeID
+	origMinCudaVersion := createMinCudaVersion
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		createTemplateID = origTemplateID
+		createImageName = origImage
+		createComputeType = origComputeType
+		createGpuTypeID = origGpuTypeID
+		createMinCudaVersion = origMinCudaVersion
+	})
+
+	createTemplateID = ""
+	createImageName = "ubuntu:22.04"
+	createComputeType = "CPU"
+	createGpuTypeID = ""
+	createMinCudaVersion = "12.6"
+
+	err := runCreate(createCmd, nil)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	if err.Error() != "--min-cuda-version is only supported for compute type GPU" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/docs/runpodctl_pod_create.md b/docs/runpodctl_pod_create.md
index 21a248c..6d0435f 100644
--- a/docs/runpodctl_pod_create.md
+++ b/docs/runpodctl_pod_create.md
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ runpodctl pod create [flags]
       --gpu-id string              gpu id (from 'runpodctl gpu list')
   -h, --help                       help for create
       --image string               docker image name (required if no template)
+      --min-cuda-version string    minimum cuda version required for gpu pod placement
       --name string                pod name
       --network-volume-id string   network volume id to attach
       --ports string               comma-separated list of ports (e.g., '8888/http,22/tcp')
@@ -59,4 +60,4 @@ runpodctl pod create [flags]
 
 * [runpodctl pod](runpodctl_pod.md)	 - manage gpu pods
 
-###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra on 23-Mar-2026
+###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra on 9-Apr-2026
diff --git a/internal/api/graphql.go b/internal/api/graphql.go
index 93b254b..9f22db6 100644
--- a/internal/api/graphql.go
+++ b/internal/api/graphql.go
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ type CreatePodGQLInput struct {
 	GpuCount          int          `json:"gpuCount"`
 	GpuTypeId         string       `json:"gpuTypeId,omitempty"`
 	ImageName         string       `json:"imageName,omitempty"`
+	MinCudaVersion    string       `json:"minCudaVersion,omitempty"`
 	Name              string       `json:"name,omitempty"`
 	Ports             string       `json:"ports,omitempty"`
 	StartSsh          bool         `json:"startSsh"`
diff --git a/internal/api/graphql_pod_test.go b/internal/api/graphql_pod_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ab796f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/api/graphql_pod_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestCreatePod_IncludesMinCudaVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	var gotMinCudaVersion string
+
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		var input GraphQLInput
+		if err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&input); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("decode request: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		payload, _ := input.Variables["input"].(map[string]interface{})
+		if value, ok := payload["minCudaVersion"].(string); ok {
+			gotMinCudaVersion = value
+		}
+
+		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]interface{}{
+			"data": map[string]interface{}{
+				"podFindAndDeployOnDemand": map[string]interface{}{
+					"id": "pod-1",
+				},
+			},
+		})
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := &GraphQLClient{
+		url:        server.URL,
+		apiKey:     "test-key",
+		httpClient: server.Client(),
+		userAgent:  "test",
+	}
+
+	_, err := client.CreatePod(&CreatePodGQLInput{
+		GpuCount:       1,
+		GpuTypeId:      "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090",
+		ImageName:      "runpod/test",
+		MinCudaVersion: "12.6",
+		StartSsh:       true,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if gotMinCudaVersion != "12.6" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected minCudaVersion to be sent, got %q", gotMinCudaVersion)
+	}
+}