IPL 2026 Released and Target Players Full List ahead of Auction
From Faf du Plessis to Andre Russell, deep-dive into the full exclusive IPL 2026 released players and retired names list ahead of the Mini auction.
The IPL 2026 season has kick-started with all 10 teams officially announcing their player retentions ahead of the Indian Premier League Mini Auction. A lot of quality players were retained ahead of the Auction as teams wanted to maintain the structure of their core, but a few quality players were released, given their current price tag, and the value they bring to the table.
However, the biggest headline ahead of the Auction was the retirement of two of the most prolific Overseas players in the IPL. With age not helping their cause, both Faf du Plessis and Andre Russell didn’t put their name in the Auction as they announced surprise retirements from the IPL. Both penned emotional notes for their fans and existing franchises, CSK, RCB, and KKR. This is a big blow to the fans and teams in general, as they had Russell on their target list.
Ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini retentions, in general, we have seen a total of 75 players getting released by all 10 teams. This is a big number, considering the upcoming Auction is more of a Mini Auction. But this also means teams don’t want to take a chance, and are ideally looking to focus on core, and filling their gaps in the Auction. So, as we wait for the Auction, let’s, in the meantime, look at the IPL 2026 released players and target names for IPL 2026.
IPL 2026 All 10 Teams Exclusive Released and Target Players List
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Complete Released Players List for IPL 2026
- Ravichandran Ashwin (Retired)
- Deepak Hooda
- Rahul Tripathi
- Vijay Shankar
- Vansh Bedi
- Andre Siddarth
- Shaikh Rasheed
- Matheesha Pathirana (os)
- Devon Conway (os)
- Rachin Ravindra (os)
5-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings, released a truck-load of players ahead of the Auction. While Ravichandran Ashwin has retired from the IPL, and they had no plans to retain him either, CSK released some big names like Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, etc. With so many quality players released, all eyes will be on Matheesha Pathirana and Rachin Ravindra as these two may grab eyeballs in the Auction.
Delhi Capitals (DC) Complete Released Players for IPL 2026
- Faf du Plessis (Retired)
- Manvanth Kumar
- Mohit Sharma
- Darshan Nalkande
- Jake Fraser-McGurk (os)
- Sediqullah Atal (os)
The Delhi Capitals team released a few quality Overseas players ahead of the Auction. However, among those players, the release of Faf du Plessis felt emotional with Faf himself announcing his retirement from the IPL, as he ended his 14-year-long association with IPL. With Faf gone, Jake Fraser-McGurk can be on the radar of a few teams who are looking for an aggressive opener. The lack of form shouldn’t be a reason for Fraser-McGurk not to give his best when form returns.
Gujarat Titans (GT) Complete Released Players for IPL 2026
- Mahipal Lomror
- Kulwant Khejroliya
- Dasun Shanaka (os)
- Karim Janat (os)
- Gerald Coetzee (os)
Gujarat Titans went lean on their releases for IPL 2026, as they focused on releasing only a few redundant names before the Auction. While Gerald Coetzee’s release can be questioned, as he is a quality bowling all-rounder, the likes of Dasun Shanaka and Karim Janat don’t have the quality to play in the IPL yet. Coetzee can be the player to watch out for in the Auction, and Mahipal Lomror also seems a potent addition to any team he goes to.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Complete Released Players for IPL 2026
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Luvnith Sisodiya
- Chetan Sakariya
- Shivam Shukla
- Andre Russell (Retired)
- Moeen Ali (os)
- Anrich Nortje (os)
- Spencer Johnson (os)
- Quinton de Kock (os)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (os)
The KKR team made a complete revamp of their side ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, having released as many as 10 players. However, the most emotional moment of IPL 2026 could be the release of Andre Russell, and the subsequent retirement by the star All-rounder ahead of the Auction. With a potential player for most teams now gone, all eyes will be on the likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who could fetch a good amount in the Auction.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Complete Released Players for IPL 2026
- Aryan Juyal
- Yuvraj Chaudhary
- Rajvardhan Hangargekar
- Akash Deep
- Ravi Bishnoi
- David Miller (os)
- Shamar Joseph (os)
- Will O’Rourke (os)
The Lucknow Super Giants made some really interesting changes ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction. Their biggest release was undoubtedly Ravi Bishnoi, who was a regular Indian team player until some time back. Bishnoi will be in focus in the Auction as many teams are still looking for a quality Indian spinner. And aside from him, David Miller, Akash Deep, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, and Will O’Rourke could also fetch a good amount in the Auction.
Mumbai Indians (MI) Complete Released Players List for IPL 2026
- Karn Sharma
- Shrijith Krishnan
- Vignesh Puthur
- Satyanayarana Raju
- Bevon Jacobs (os)
- Lizaad Williams (os)
- Mujeeb ur Rahman (os)
- Reece Topley (os)
The Mumbai Indians team released 8 players ahead of the Auction, but most of their releases were forced ones as they already retained 7 Overseas players. Among the ones that MI released, like Bevon Jacobs, Lizaad Williams, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Reece Topley, etc., none of them may be on the radar in the Auction, and that means MI have done a good job when it comes to their releases. Even among the Indian talent, none of them will have a good chance of getting selected or getting higher pay.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) Complete Released Players for IPL 2026
- Praveen Dubey
- Kuldeep Sen
- Aaron Hardie (os)
- Glenn Maxwell (os)
- Kyle Jamieson (os)
- Josh Inglis (os)
The Punjab Kings retained the maximum number of players before the Auction, and when it comes to their releases, all releases seem to be on point, except for Josh Inglis. While Maxwell, who has been the biggest disappointment for PBKS in 2025, had to be released, Inglis was released primarily due to availability issues. Aside from these two, Kuldeep Sen and Aaron Hardie might be under the radar of a few teams in the Auction.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) Complete Released Players for IPL 2026
- Kunal Singh Rathore
- Akash Madhwal
- Ashok Sharma
- Kumar Kartikeya
- Wanindu Hasaranga (os)
- Maheesh Theekshana (os)
- Fazalhaq Farooqi (os)
The Rajasthan Royals team released 7 players in the IPL 2026 Auction pool. However, after the release of the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Kumar Kartikeya, the spin department seems to have taken a beating from them. So, this is one area that they would like to focus on in the Auction. Aside from these two, teams could be targeting the likes of Akash Madhwal and Kumar Kartikeya in the Auction.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Complete Released Players List for IPL 2026
- Swastik Chikara
- Manoj Bhandage
- Mohit Rathee
- Mayank Agarwal
- Liam Livingstone (os)
- Lungi Ngidi (os)
The IPL 2025 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, had no reason to make changes in their well-settled squad. Their retentions were in line with the expectations, but the team had to release Liam Livingstone, whose stakes have fallen in the IPL for being non-serious with the game. Aside from Livingstone, who may still find a buyer in the Auction, Mayank Agarwal and Lungi Ngidi may also be under the radar of a few teams.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Complete Released Players for IPL 2026
- Abhinav Manohar
- Atharva Taide
- Sachin Baby
- Simarjeet Singh
- Rahul Chahar
- Adam Zampa (os)
- Wiaan Mulder (os)
The Sunrisers Hyderabad team released players in line with expectations. Aside from trading Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants, SRH released the likes of Adam Zampa, Wiaan Mulder, Rahul Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, Abhinav Manohar, etc. Now, these aren’t bad players, but they probably didn’t fit in the DNA of SRH, which believes in playing bold cricket. However, expect most of these players to find their name in the IPL 2026 for one of the teams.
Thanks for reading! Looking at the IPL 2026 released players for all 10 teams, which names will be under the radar in the Auction? Please email your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com, or mention them in the comments section below.
