Chikara-Kohli no longer together: Prominent IPL faces who are not part of 2026 mini-auction

Swastik Chikara and Adam Zampa - (Source: OrangeArmy/X.com)

On Tuesday, December 9, the IPL released the final list of shortlisted players set to go under the hammer on December 16 in IPL 2026 mini-auction. The Cash-studded league released a list featuring 350 players who will be in action during the auction.

Notably, a whopping 1355 players registered for the auction, but after consulting with all ten teams, the IPL governing council reduced the list to 350 players. Further, some players were released from the team ahead of IPL 2026 and are missing from the final list. Meanwhile, this article will shed light on those promising names.

PS- The likes of Glenn Maxwell, Moeen Ali, and Faf Du Plessis don't feature in this list because of their prior decision to pull out of the league.

1. Reece Topley

One of the most prominent names who will miss IPL 2026 is England star bowler Reece Topley. Notably, the left-arm seamer featured for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025, but played just a solitary game. 

MI bought Topley for 75 lakhs, but he could only play one match because of his injury concerns. Nonetheless, for IPL 2026, Topley registered for the 1355 player list, but failed to make the final cut.

Why did Reece Topley fail to make it to the final list?

One of the primary reasons why teams failed to show any interest in Topley before the auction is his injury woes. Further, Topley has also failed to live up to the expectations and is struggling to take wickets. 

Topley has not played for England in 2025 and has also failed to impress in domestic events. Topley had a nice Vitality Blast where he took 10 wickets in seven games. However, during the Hundred, Topley took no wicket in three matches. 

2. Shaik Rasheed 

CSK struggled in IPL 2025, and as a result, Shaik Rasheed, who was bought for just 30 lakhs, was presented with an opportunity and shone on his IPL debut.

However, slowly his hype faded as he only managed to score 71 runs in five innings, before warming the bench again. 

Why did Teams not pick Shaik Rasheed?

Rasheed had a poor Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, where he only amassed 110 runs in seven innings, averaging 22.00. Besides a solitary fifty-plus score, Rasheed couldn't do enough to impress the IPL franchises. 

Further, CSK have sorted their top-order before the start of the league with the arrival of Sanju Samson. Thus, the demand for Shaik Rasheed faded away, resulting in no interest from any franchise.

Shaik Rasheed's IPL 2025 stats

3. Aaron Hardie

Australia star seamer Aaron Hardie started his IPL career in 2025 when the right-arm seamer was bought by Punjab Kings for a whopping 1.25 crores. However, he failed to get any game, and now sadly, the 26-year-old is not a part of the 350-player list for IPL 2026 auction. 

Why was Aaron Hardie not picked for the 350-player auction list?

The 26-year-old is struggling to cement his place on the international side and has been underwhelming in the opportunities presented to him. 

After IPL 2025, Hardie played for Australia against the West Indies, where he took three wickets in two matches. Further, he went wicketless against the Proteas and only took seven wickets in nine innings during the Sheffield Shield 2025-26. 

4. Adam Zampa

Another shocking name not part of the IPL 2026 auction list is star Australian spinner Adam Zampa. The right-arm leg-spinner has been a key figure for Australia in the shortest format of the game. However, he has never prioritised IPL in his life. 

Why was Adam Zampa not picked for the 350-player auction list?

The 33-year-old made his IPL debut in 2016, and in the last nine years, he has played just five seasons. Further, during IPL 2025, Zampa played two games and looked like a pale shadow of his past versions. Also, the absence of interest from teams for a spinner is quite possibly a reason why Zampa found no interest from any of the franchises, even before the start of the auction. 

5. Swastik Chikara

RCB's Swastik Chikara, who was bought for just 30 lakhs, made headlines after he mostly surrounded Virat Kohli during IPL 2025. Chikara became a household name because of his fondness for Virat despite missing all games during IPL 2025.

Why did teams not show interest Swastik Chikara?

Swastik Chikara has actually done nothing wrong to not find a place in the auction list as the star batter actually did well in the recently concluded UP T20 league, where he amassed 370 runs in 13 innings. 

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