The ten Indian Premier League teams announced their final list of released and retained players on Friday, November 15, ahead of the IPL 2026 option set to take place in December.
Teams will look to fill in the final pieces of the puzzle with the player pool available come auction day.
Here are the top players who will be in demand during the upcoming IPL auction:
Venkatesh Iyer
Kolkata Knight Riders has let go of Venkatesh Iyer, its INR 23.75 crore buy from last year’s auction. A bidding war with Royal Challengers Bengaluru had forced the all-rounder’s price up to unprecedented levels. With the thickest purse available, KKR could well look to buy him back for cheap, but it will face competition from other teams with money to spend.
David Miller
South African middle-order mainstay David Miller has been released by the Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the auction. The southpaw, who played a major role in Gujarat Titans’ performances in its first few seasons, had limited opportunities to show his prowess with the bat in Lucknow. His wealth of experience and ability to accelerate at the death could be vital for teams coming into the auction.
Andre Russell
Arguably the most surprising of all releases ahead of the auction, Andre Russell has been released by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the first time since 2014. Despite his age, Russell continues to show his muscle in T20 leagues around the world and could prove to be a valuable commodity for teams looking for death-over hitters. His handy contribution with the ball will be an added bonus.
Matheesha Pathirana
Chennai Super Kings has released its INR 13 crore retention from last year, Matheesha Pathirana. The slingy bowler has been a project that the Chennai-based team has heavily invested in over the years. But the diminishing returns over the last two seasons and the improved death-bowling prospects of Nathan Ellis have forced the side to cash in on the pacer. He could well move back to the side for a cheaper sum, but multiple teams will be eyeing up the Sri Lankan.
Rahul Chahar
Sunrisers Hyderabad found itself with excess leg-spin riches after the performances of the unheralded Zeeshan Ansari in the IPL 2025 season. This has forced the side to release Rahul Chahar back into the auction pool. The former MI spinner could be a great option for teams looking to secure a proven wrist-spinner, a rare commodity, especially in India.
Cameron Green
Cameron Green missed the 2025 mega auction due to injury but could be a top prospect come the mini auction this year. The Australian all-rounder has brushed away his injury troubles and has been playing regularly for the side in the shortest format. He has already shown his potential with an excellent season at RCB and could be one of the players who force a bidding war in the auction, due to his role as a utility player.
Published on Nov 15, 2025
