IPL retentions: 5 most shocking releases ahead of 2026 mini auction

Mayank

Russell, Inglis, Matheesha Pathirana [@CricCrazyJohns, Bibhu_224/X.com]Russell, Inglis, Matheesha Pathirana [@CricCrazyJohns, Bibhu_224/X.com]

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 retentions generated unprecedented buzz, with players moving between franchises as part of trade deals ahead of the deadline.

While some big moves were made between the franchises, some names were shockingly released into the auction by the teams on November 15. Here's a look at the most surprising releases ahead of IPL 2026 mini-auction.

5. Ravi Bishnoi - LSG

Since the inception of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Ravi Bishnoi has been a crucial cog of the team for four straight seasons. He was also among the retained players ahead of last season's mega auction for 11 crore (INR).

However, an underwhelming 2024 season, where he only managed 9 wickets in 11 matches, at an economy rate of 10.83 and the rise of Digvesh Rathi meant he was on an exit ramp for them. He leaves LSG as their leading wicket-taker with 48 scalps in 54 matches.

4. Rachin Ravindra - CSK

The New Zealand opener did not have an extraordinary time with the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in his two seasons there. However, playing across formats, he has shown a high potential, which CSK usually backs in players.

He scored 222 runs at a strike rate of 160.86 in the 10 innings of IPL 2024, but did not manage to build on it in 2025, scoring only 191 in 8 innings at a strike rate of 128.18.

3. Matheesha Pathirana - CSK

In his young career, CSK and MS Dhoni looked adamant in backing Pathirana and considered him a long-term fix for their death bowling. They also retained him for 13 crore in 2025, before he had a blip in 2025.

Before his 2025 season, where he took 13 wickets at a high economy of 10.13, he had an exemplary record, picking 19 and 13 wickets in 2023 and 2024, respectively, conceding at just 8 and 7.68. He leaves CSK with 47 wickets in 32 matches.

2. Josh Inglis - PBKS

The Australian wicketkeeper batter, Josh Inglis played his first IPL season in 2025 and was instrumental in Punjab Kings' (PBKS) run to the final.

He scored 278 runs at a strike rate of 162.57 in 11 innings, including impactful cameos against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the playoffs. His high score of 73(42) vs MI also guided them to the top-2 finish.

1. Andre Russell - KKR

One of Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) MVPs for 12 consecutive seasons, Andre Russell will be in the auctions for the first time since 2014.

During his period with the franchise, he won two IPL titles and became the second-highest run scorer in their history, racking up 2658 runs at a strike rate of 175.09 in 115 innings. As he is set to leave the franchise, he is also their second-highest wicket-taker with 124 scalps in 119 innings.

His release also comes as a surprise, as the all-rounder was just retained ahead of the last mega auction for a price of 12 crore INR.