5 big players who might be released ahead of IPL 2026 retention

In about two weeks from now, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises will have a hard time thinking over retention selection. After all, the BCCI is allegedly deciding to set November 15 as the deadline for all the IPL teams to announce their retention list ahead of the IPL 2026.

The IPL 2025 saw a mega auction, where a combined whopping Rs 639.15 crore was spent for 182 players in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in a two-day affair. This means that the auction for the next season will be a mini one. Teams would be allowed to retain the majority of their players.

However, we might be in for some surprising releases. All the ten IPL franchises would be focusing on improving their squads and for that to happen, they need to release some stars to boost up the auction purses. Below, we see five such players, whose releases, if they happen, can cause a stir in the cricketing world.

Big IPL 2026 releases that could happen

Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)

The biggest release of the entire IPL 2026 would definitely be Sanju Samson. He has been synonymous with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) but the relationship between the two parties has taken a hit. There have been multiple coaching staff changes in the franchise and in all likelihood Samson is also looking to move ahead.

With 4219 runs in 155 T20 matches, Samson is the leading run-getter in RR’s history. He has also led the side 67 times, the most. His performance in the last edition of the tournament was affected by his injuries, which resulted in him playing just 9 out of 14 games. Sanju started his career with RR in 2013 and moved to DC for a couple of years in 2016-17 before returning to RR since then. There have been countless reports that have joined his name with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who also eye MS Dhoni’s successor soon.

Avesh Khan (Lucknow Super Giants)

Avesh Khan is one of the many injury-prone pacers that the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have. He has been part of LSG across three seasons, taking 39 wickets in 35 games. However, his economy of 9.56 and bowling average of 30.41 have left a lot to be desired.

LSG paid a whopping Rs 9.75 crore to acquire his services earlier this year and he returned with 13 wickets at an expensive economy of 10.29. His year was later hampered by surgery on his right knee. Following the IPL season, Khan underwent knee surgery and is expected to be out of action for approximately five to six months. LSG already have enough Indian pace options in Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan and Akash Singh. Hence, it would be wise for Avesh to enter the auction.

Liam Livingstone (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

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The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally ended their hoodoo of not winning an IPL championship. All the success started at the auction table when they bought the likes of Phil Salt and Josh Hazlewood. However, they also splashed Rs 8.75 crore on Liam Livingstone, perhaps a move that didn’t pay dividends.

Right at the top of RCB’s release list should be the England’s big-hitting all-rounder. Across 10 matches at IPL 2025, he scraped together just 112 runs at an average of 16, hardly what you expect from a player bought for almost Rs 9 crore. His bowling didn’t offer much either, with only two wickets in five innings.

For all the hype and price tag, Livingstone turned out to be a major disappointment. Letting him go could free up valuable purse money and allow RCB to chase a more consistent all-round option like Cameron Green.

Yuzvendra Chahal (Punjab Kings)

Being the highest wicket-taker in the history of IPL, Yuzvendra Chahal was bought for a mighty Rs 18 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. But to be frank, PBKS doesn’t need to pay this much for a spinner who is on the other side of their 30s. No doubt that he is a legend in the tournament but Chahal’s best is past him. He has fallen out of favour from the international circuit and is looking for redemption.

However, PBKS can always buy him back for a cheaper price at the mini auction. He picked up 16 wickets in 14 matches, but that includes two four-wicket hauls. That just tells us if not for those matches, he could have ended with eight wickets only. Plus, his economy was a poor 9.55, the worst in all his seasons.

Mohammed Shami (SunRisers Hyderabad)

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SRH have a big but sensible decision to make about Mohammed Shami before the IPL 2026 mini auction. The experienced pacer, who cost them Rs 10 crore last season, had a forgettable run with just 6 wickets in 9 matches and an economy rate of 11.23.

He never really found his rhythm, the yorkers disappeared, and he often looked far from his best. The slump in pace and control meant SRH had to turn to younger bowlers like Ehsan Malinga and Simarjeet Singh to do the heavy lifting. At 35, Shami isn’t the force he once was and fitness has been an ongoing concern. Letting him go could free up a huge chunk of their purse, and given his current form, SRH might even manage to get him back at a far lower price if they still want his experience.

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