A few players won't mind being released ahead of the auction.
Each team has a few misfits ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The auction dynamics work in a certain way that teams often overpay or buy unnecessary players. Then, there are some tactical blunders at times.
The same happened during the IPL 2025 auction, as franchises failed to nail all players and had to settle with other options. As a fresh season approaches, they will look to rectify those mistakes. From the players’ point of view, a few won’t mind a release since they didn’t get the desired game time or price.
We look at such players whose release might help them earn a better deal ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) might have helped Rinku Singh gain fame and show his superior talent, but, indeed, they haven’t utilised him properly in the last two seasons. They have not given him a settled slot and often restrict his entry by keeping him low in the order. Before the IPL 2025 auction, they retained him for INR 13 crore, but he can earn a lot more in the auction.
Rinku is among the rare proven power-hitters who can bat anywhere in the middle order and doesn’t take an overseas slot either. Most teams lack a genuine pace-hitter, and since the IPL 2026 auction is a mini version, his price will surge drastically. However, KKR might not release him, even though they have not extracted the best from him.
In Jacob Bethell’s case, it’s a combination of both game time and financial rewards. When Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bought him for INR 2.60 crore in the auction, he wasn’t a settled player and had only shown glimpses of brilliance in patches. However, he has evolved as a batter and become more all-rounded, with some bowling value as a bonus.
Additionally, RCB are unlikely to give him enough matches since they have Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar in the middle. It will be harsh on him to waste his time on the bench when other teams can give him a long run. Franchises like the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) require a spin basher at No.3, and Bethell fits perfectly in their XI.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi is among the finest talents in world cricket at the moment, but KKR’s usage has been sub-optimal. He is naturally a top-order batter, but since the team has Sunil Narine and Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish has consistently batted out of position. So, his IPL career hasn’t really progressed as well as he would have liked.
If he comes to the IPL 2026 auction, Raghuvanshi can find a franchise that uses him in the top order and gives him a consistent run, unlike KKR. Franchises like SRH won’t mind having him in that explosive lineup. Additionally, he will be a long-term investment, with potential to lead the franchise in future.
Will Jacks was as misfit a player as can be in the Mumbai Indians (MI). A team crammed with several top-order batters didn’t require Jacks, but his inclusion unsettled a lot of other batters’ positions. So, MI should let him go and rather pick a better lower-order hitter with some bowling value.
Meanwhile, Jacks can end up in a team like the Delhi Capitals (DC) or the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who require a top-order batter to replace Faf du Plessis and Ishan Kishan, respectively. Even the Rajasthan Royals (RR) will welcome him after lacking such a player last season, with Nitish Rana failing to do the job. Since it’s a mini auction, Jacks’ price will also be higher than the INR 5.25 crore he earned last time.
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Another batter who has not made as much progress due to improper usage is Ayush Badoni, who is among the finest young talents in the circuit. He is a terrific spin player who should bat in the top four, but Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have kept using him in the lower order. Furthermore, he has improved massively as a bowler in recent times, but this skill has hardly been used in the IPL.
Additionally, Badoni earns only INR 4 crore since LSG retained him as an uncapped player before the mega auction, when he deserves a lot more. If he enters the IPL 2026 auction, the 25-year-old will easily fetch a big sum, especially after his recent improvements as an all-rounder. Badoni must ask for a release himself to develop more, unless LSG assure him of better usage next season.
A spin basher with massive potential, Sameer Rizvi will find himself unlucky to end up in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Delhi Capitals in his initial years. Neither team used him properly, and he spent most of the time on the bench in IPL 2025. If we look at DC’s team combination, they already have Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs, who can float up in the order and take on the spinners.
Hence, Rizvi will likely remain on the sidelines if DC retain him before the next season. He will definitely earn more than his current salary of INR 95 Lakhs in the IPL 2026 auction, and even if he doesn’t, the young batter will at least find a team that gives him more games. He has the makings of a solid spin basher, but requires some grooming and technical adjustments, which are only possible if he plays and exposes his technique against quality bowlers.
Another misfit in Delhi Capitals’ setup was Donovan Ferreira, who is too good a talent to remain on the bench. He is a ferocious pace hitter bound to thrive on flat IPL decks. DC already have the likes of Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs in the middle and lower middle order, and they don’t require Ferreira.
Hence, the South African batter would be better playing in teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) or Mumbai Indians (MI), both of whom need an additional pace hitter. With the Impact Player rule, Ferreira will get more chances to contribute and can develop into a complete batter. Surely, he deserves more than the INR 75 Lakhs he gets at the Capitals, since not many pace hitters are available in the market.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru were really lucky to acquire Romario Shepherd for only INR 1.5 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. He provides ample value to a T20 side, and his recent form confirms his overall improvement as an all-rounder. Hence, the Caribbean all-rounder will want more money, given what he brings to the table, and might ask for a release.
He can easily become one of the most expensive players in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, with several teams looking for a pace-bowling all-rounder. Shepherd surely understands his value and how mini auctions work. There’s no harm in maximising peak form and asking for better remuneration when there’s a clear opportunity.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a plan to get as many all-rounders as possible to make their squad more dynamic. However, they also picked a few unrequired players, and one of them is Azmatullah Omarzai. Ideally, he should bowl with the new ball and bat in the middle order, but at PBKS, he doesn’t get to do both.
His power hitting has recently improved, glimpses of which were visible in the Asia Cup 2025, and he has surely evolved as a batter. The upcoming IPL 2026 auction can help him get his true price and find a team that uses him more optimally. Omarzai will get more exposure in teams like the Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans since both lacked a quality pace-bowling all-rounder last season.
Firstly, Punjab Kings, and now Chennai Super Kings, Nathan Ellis has twice ended up with franchises that don’t understand his value. These are his peak years, and while teams buy him, they don’t give him a long run. He is among the finest death-over bowlers in world cricket and has done this arduous job consistently.
If he comes into the IPL 2026 auction, teams like the Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants will go hard after him. That will help him get his real price and end up in a team that at least gives him a consistent run. CSK have Matheesha Pathirana and will unlikely prefer Ellis over him, so both parties should come to an agreement of release ahead of the auction.
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