Saturday, November 15, was the final day for announcing retentions for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. While most of them retained their star performers, there were some big names that were released.
They will enter the mini-auction, which is set to be held on December 16, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Franchise owners will be looking to acquire their services to strengthen their teams heading into the 2026 edition of the IPL.
On this note, let's take a look at three released players who might start a bidding war among franchises at the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
3 released players who might start a bidding war among franchises at auction
3. Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi had been associated with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since IPL 2022, when the franchise made its maiden appearance. The talented leg-spinner went on to make his international debut in the same year. He was retained for INR 11 crore. However, 2025 wasn't the kind of year Bishnoi would have hoped for.
The 25-year-old lost his place in the Indian side and was outperformed by an inexperienced Digvesh Rathi in IPL 2025. In 11 matches, he picked up nine wickets at an average of 44.56 and an economy rate of 10.84. Bishnoi has the experience of playing 42 T20Is and 77 IPL games. Several teams are expected to bid for him, and this could result in a major bidding war.
2. Matheesha Pathirana
Sri Lankan speedster Matheesha Pathirana showed glimpses of his prowess during the latter stages of IPL 2022, playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In the following season, he made a stellar impact, taking 19 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 19.53 and an economy rate of 8.01. However, the 22-year-old had a disappointing season this year. He could pick up just 13 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 32.62 and an economy rate of 10.14.
Pathirana was rarely on the money in terms of his accuracy. The pinpoint yorkers had gone missing, and the batters were using his pace against him. However, despite his ordinary returns in 2025 and subsequent release by CSK, Pathirana could be a player to watch out for in the mini-auction. The Kandy-born is still young and can hone his skills to become a spearhead for the team he joins.
1. Andre Russell
Andre Russell is one of the all-time superstars of the cash-rich league. Since 2014, he had been a wonderful servant for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The two-time IPL MVP (Most Valuable Player) was retained by KKR for INR 12 crore ahead of the mega-auction last year. While there were murmurs about Russell being released ahead of the mini-auction, it was hard to believe that a franchise which highly values loyalty would not retain one of their iconic players.
However, the three-time champions dropped a bombshell on November 15, parting ways with the Caribbean all-rounder. Many believe that KKR will re-sign Russell from the auction. However, they might not get him for an amount of less than INR 12 crore. Teams will be looking to acquire Russell's services, as he is still a force to be reckoned with as an explosive batter and a wicket-taking bowler. He is also a crowd puller because of his match-winning abilities, and franchises always have a soft corner for such players.
