As the IPL 2026 mini auction draws closer, all 10 franchises declared their final squads as they announced the players they have retained and released on Saturday, November 15.
The IPL's player reshuffle phase has already generated plenty of buzz, with trade rumours, expected exits, and team overhauls dominating headlines.
The auction itself will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, marking the next major step in team rebuilding ahead of the 2026 season.
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Before the deadline day, Chennai Super Kings created the most buzz as they signed Sanju Samson in trade off with Rajasthan Royals, with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran going the other way.
As all 10 teams revealed their list of players they have retained, we take a look at the top 10 expected player releases.
READ: IPL 2026 trade deals: Full list of player trades and cash deals ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction
10 unexpected players released ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction
Andre Russell (KKR)
End of an era as Andre Russell has finally left KKR after years of service to the franchise. While it is true that Russell has gifted many memorable moments to the team and was a loyal servant, his drop in form in recent seasons indicated that time was up for bthe ig man from the Caribbean.
Devon Conway (CSK)
The Kiwi opener has been allowed to leave following the arrival of Sanju Samson from RR. With Samson and Ruturaj in the team, CSK do not need an overseason player in that slot.
Venkatesh Iyer (KKR)
After spending big money to retain Iyer last season, the southpaw did little to justify the price tag as KKR missed out on play-offs qualification.
Glenn Maxwell (PBKS)
Another season, another failure for the Aussie legend as he once again failed to perform and score big runs for PBKS, although the franchise reached the IPL final. Quite understandably, he was let go.
Rachin Ravindra (CSK)
Ravindra was bought by CSK in 2024 after his stellar performance at the World Cup 2023. While the southpaw has been one of the world's best white-ball cricketers, his performance in the IPL has been below par.
Matheesa Pathirana (CSK)
Pathirana, with his unconventional bowling action, became quite a hit in IPL 2023 but he failed to show consistency in the last two campaigns, which forced the management to release him.
MORE: What are the rules and regulations for the IPL 2026 Mini Auction?
Ravi Bishnoi (LSG)
LSG finally parted ways with the star spinner after four seasons. Despite being an expert in the shortest format and LSG spending a lot of money, Bishnoi never really proved himself to be a game-changer for the franchise in the past few seasons.
Jake Fraser-McGurk (DC)
The explosive opener's exclusion came as a surprise for many as he was slowly establishing himself as an asset for the Delhi outfit and his fiery starts were providing a base for the middle-order batters to build on.
MORE: IPL 2026 mini auction: Remaining purses and budgets listed
Anrich Nortje
The ace fast bowler from South Africa failed to live up to the expectations of the management as he failed to deliver a single memorable performance. With Mitchell Starc released, Nortje was expected to spearhead the bowling attack for KKR, but he failed.
Quinton De Kock (KKR)
Another KKR star in the list, as the South African wicket-keeper batter has been let go after just one season. De Kock started the last season on a bright note but slowly faded away, eventually amassing just 152 runs in eight innings.
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