5 Surprising releases ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

Retention day for the IPL’s 2026 mini-auction produced the kind of shocks that’ll shape the December auction drama. Big names freed up, hefty purses opened and fresh strategy signals from franchises. A few exits stand out not just because of the players’ reputations, but because of what they say about shifting priorities after IPL 2025. Here are five releases that surprised fans and pundits alike.

1. Andre Russell

Russell’s name topping the released list is symbolic. For more than a decade, he’s been the template for the modern finisher with raw power, the ability to change a game in a single over and handy overs of fast bowling when needed. Yet IPL 2025 showed the strain of age and changing team dynamics, where Russell managed only 167 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of around 164, while his bowling returns were modest and expensive. 

KKR’s decision to cut ties seems driven by two things: the salary/roster math and a desire to rebuild the lower middle order with younger, cheaper options. For bidders, Russell still offers the match-winning one-over upside, but teams must price in form dips and the reality that he may no longer deliver the season-long returns of his peak years.

2. Matheesha Pathirana

Pathirana’s slingy action and genuine pace once felt like the backbone of CSK’s future pace attack. Although injuries and an inflated price tag after CSK retained him for ₹13 crore left little room for patience when his 2025 numbers didn’t match expectations. 

He took 13 wickets in 12 games, but at an elevated economy and fitness interruptions have dented his ability to build rhythm across a full season. Releasing him is a blunt financial move from CSK, but for buyers, this is a classic buy-low scenario. If his body holds and coaches can manage workloads, his wicket-taking potential and death-overs ability make him worth chasing at a lower base price.

3. Josh Inglis

Josh Inglis arrived in the IPL as an athletic keeper and a clean, powerful batter who can bat anywhere in the top six. PBKS letting him go was more tactical than performance-based. Inglis had shown promise and finished the auction as a moderate-cost overseas buy (around ₹2.6 crore in his last auction trail), but retention choices and availability concerns made him expendable in Punjab’s purse calculus. 

For franchises that need a reliable overseas wicketkeeper who can also accelerate the innings, Inglis offers clear value, and the mini-auction will be an opportunity for a team willing to back an overseas keeper as a regular.

4. Venkatesh Iyer

Iyer’s exit is the clearest lesson in IPL economics. Bought for a mammoth ₹23.75 crore in the previous mega-auction, his 2025 returns were underwhelming (just 142 runs from 11 games), which left KKR with a tough choice: keep a high-priced player who hasn’t delivered or reclaim a huge purse chunk by releasing him. KKR chose the latter. 

For buyers, Iyer’s package of left-handed power, handy medium-pace overs and a reputation for finishing still has tactical appeal, but teams will be wary of paying top-tier money again unless they see clear signs of form and fitness returning.

5. Quinton de Kock

De Kock’s release surprised many because he remains a proven T20 opening option worldwide. The KKR decision looks less like a judgment on his ability and more like a byproduct of a broad squad reshuffle of overseas slots, purse management and a desire to retool the opening combination. 

De Kock’s skill set of left-handed aggression, a record of high strike-rate starts and safe glovework will attract bidders immediately. Expect his price to reflect the market for a reliable top-order overseas batter rather than a knee-jerk drop because being released was a strategic, not purely performance-driven, call.

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