Potential Most Expensive Releases From RCB, CSK And MI Ahead Of IPL Mini Auction

Players to be released by CSK, MI, RCB [Source: @DhoniGifs/x.com]

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season is still far away, but the buzz has already been created as all ten franchises aim to strengthen their team in the ongoing trade window. This time period allows the teams to either trade a player or offer a cash amount to lure another player to join their side.

Apart from this, all ten teams can also bolster the squad in the IPL 2026 mini auction, but before that, the teams will release players from their squad to free up money to go after other targets. In this piece, we will talk about three of the most popular teams in the IPL - RCB, CSK, and MI, and who could potentially be their highest paid release players ahead of the mini auction.

1) Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Liam Livingstone (8.75 crore)

The defending IPL champions will enter the mini auction to fill in the minor gaps in their squad, but they would also love to free up 8.75 crore by releasing Liam Livingstone. The English all-rounder was bought with a lot of hope, but he failed to deliver the goods.

(Livingstone in IPL 2025)

• Just 112 runs in 10 matches, with an underwhelming strike rate of 133.33. RCB has all the reasons to release him, and get 8.75 crore back in their bag. 
• All the other players who were more expensive than Livingstone, be it Phil Salt, Josh Hazlewood, or Bhuvneshwar Kumar, performed exceedingly well, and hence, the English all-rounder could be the most expensive release from the RCB squad.

2) Chennai Super Kings

Devon Conway (6.25 crore)

If R Ashwin didn’t retire, he would have likely be the most expensive release from the Chennai Super Kings side, but now with him gone, the next best bet falls on New Zealand batter, Devon Conway. The Kiwi was prolific in the 2023 season and was key in CSK’s title triumph. However, since then, the stocks have fallen.

(Conway in IPL 2025)

• Just 156 runs with a strike rate of 131 defines Conway's IPL 2025 season. He struggled for power as CSK often lost the plot in the power-play itself.
• Plus, with the arrival of Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, and potentially Sanju Samson, Conway doesn't have a guaranteed place in the opening slot, and it would be better for both parties to go on their separate paths.

3) Mumbai Indians

Deepak Chahar (9.25 crore)

A genuine wicket-taker on his day, but Deepak Chahar’s career has been marred by constant injuries, which have affected his bowling. Even though he is still accurate with his lines and lengths, but the speed has dropped, and batters have found it easy to tackle him.

(Chahar in IPL 2025, 2024)

• As the stats suggests, he has picked up only 16 wickets in the last two seasons, and with the drop in pace, his economy has also increased as the batters find it easy to take him down.
• Plus, by releasing Chahar, MI would get back their 9.25 crore, which they can invest on a quality pacer, who could get them wickets.

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