IPL 2026: 5 Big Stars Likely to Be Released Before the Mini Auction

IPL 2026: 5 Big Stars Likely to Be Released Before the Mini Auction

IPL 2025 will be remembered for the ages as we witnessed some very exciting cricketing action in this 18th season of the Indian Premier League, whether it's the performance of young players or outstanding performance from teams like Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru who played very well. We also witnessed RCB becoming the IPL champion for the first time ever, but all was not good this season as some players, some well known names, who always attracted high bids in the auction, didn't perform in this season. So in this article, we will discuss five big stars who are likely to be released before the IPL 2026 auction.

Glenn Maxwell (Punjab Kings)

The first name in this list is Glenn Maxwell. Many of you might have expected this name since, in Maxwell's decade-long IPL career, there are very few seasons in which he has performed. Every season, Maxwell attracts high bids in the auction, but when it comes to performance, most of the seasons he has disappointed. This also happened this season, Punjab Kings, who acquired Maxwell at a price of 4.20 crore, saw him perform poorly, as he couldn't even score 50 runs in the seven matches played before getting injured. It's very likely that he will be released before the upcoming Mini auction by the team.

Liam Livingstone (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

The next player on our list can also be compared to Glenn Maxwell: Liam Livingstone, who is known for hitting long sixes but has struggled to perform in the IPL most of the time. Whether during his earlier time with Punjab Kings or this season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Livingstone has not contributed to the team's victories as expected. Since RCB has performed really well this season, Livingstone's poor performance has been overshadowed, but the team will consider dropping him as they prepare for the IPL 2026 season. In the 10 matches played this season, Livingstone has scored only 112 runs.

Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants)

The third player on our list is the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League: Rishabh Pant, who was acquired by Lucknow Super Giants for the IPL 2025 season at a whopping bid of 27 crore, making him the most expensive player ever. However, his performance not only disappointed the LSG management but also his fans around the world. In 13 out of the 14 matches played, he underperformed, getting dismissed early in the innings. In the last match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he scored a magnificent century, trying to prove his worth to everyone. Despite his performance in the last match, it is unlikely that LSG will continue with him, given the confrontations between him and the team's owner on the ground, which we saw multiple times. The decision will involve multiple rounds of discussion before arriving at any conclusion, though we believe he could be released before the mini-auction. In the 14 matches played in IPL 2025, Pant scored a total of 269 runs, half of which came in the last match itself.

Ravichandran Ashwin (Chennai Super Kings)

Another player who can be released by his IPL team before next season is Ravichandran Ashwin. The Chennai Super Kings acquired him for a price of 9.75 crore with the expectation from him to perform at CSK's home ground, the Chepauk stadium, which is a spin-friendly track. But Ashwin neither could deliver in Chennai nor in the other grounds. The team has finally decided to drop him for the last few matches due to his performance, and CSK might decide to part ways with him before the IPL 2026 mini auction. In the nine matches played this season, Ashwin has taken only seven wickets and has underperformed.

Quinton de Kock (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The last player in the list who can be released by his IPL team is Quinton de Kock. The South African experienced wicketkeeper, who usually opens batting for the Kings, didn't perform well for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the season. KKR in the IPL 2025 auction bought him for ₹3.60 crore, but he failed to impress with his performance. There was only one match where he stood out; it was against the Rajasthan Royals, where he scored a half-century, but in the other matches, he disappointed. With just 152 runs in the eight innings he played, he might be released by KKR before the mini auction.

Also Read: IPL 2026: Full List of Released Players by All 10 Teams Ahead of Mini Auction