Three out of five players are from KKR.
The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) witnessed some pulsating clashes among the 10 teams. The upcoming IPL 2026 auction will set the stage for a lot more exciting action for T20 fans around the world.
In the previous edition, several players continued their momentum, while some of them battled a lean patch to rise to the occasion. But some players failed to live up to their potential, which almost ensured their release from their respective IPL teams.
Let’s look at five such players who are certain to be released ahead of the IPL 2026 player auction.
AUSA-W
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INDA-W
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SVL
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ROR
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BVB
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TBW
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SIN-W
148/7
CAM-W
34/10
Singapore Womens beat Cambodia Women by 114 runs
SIN-W
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CAM-W
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SKA
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ABF
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SKA
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GAW
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ODW
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SDS
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NOR
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HUN
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NOR
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SWE
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SWE
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HUN
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HUN
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NOR
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SWE
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NOR
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SOS
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ZGW
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ZAS
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ZGA
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SOS
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RJM
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ZGA
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ZAS
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ZGA
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SOS
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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YOR
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SOM
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DURH
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NOR
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BB
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MID
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ESS
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SURR
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DER
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WOR
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HAM
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LEI
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SUSS
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LAN
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GLO
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GLAM
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CEC-A
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KGC
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KRMPS
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BCC
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TCC
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KGC
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BNC
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NCMI
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JJ
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CEC-A
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MYW
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MGD
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GBM
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BNB
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SML
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BNB
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HBT
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MGD
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ROS
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MAT
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MUT
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RNC
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YSG
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IAI
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SLGR
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SLGY
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LOS
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TRR
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NOS
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BIP
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LSW-W
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TRW-W
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NOS-W
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BIP-W
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PS
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BANA
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ACOM
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HHA
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MS-A
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MR-A
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CHK
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PSA
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NTS
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NEP
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The South African opener, Quinton de Kock, was a key player for the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI). He represented MI from 2019 to 2021 and scored 1,329 runs. Notably, the wicketkeeper-batter put up 500+ runs in both of his initial seasons at MI, which played a crucial role in their consecutive title wins in IPL 2019 and IPL 2020. He also performed well for the Lucknow Super Giants and scored 901 runs across three seasons.
After releasing Phil Salt from their squad, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) needed an explosive opener in their playing XI. The IPL 2024 winners acquired the player for INR 3.60 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. But the Proteas batter managed to put up only 152 runs in eight matches at a below-par strike rate of 129.91.
After acquiring his maiden IPL deal for INR 50 lakh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored only 289 runs in 14 matches across two seasons for KKR. But the franchise showed faith in the Afghanistani player to buy him back in the IPL 2025 auction for INR 2 crore. The opener was not in their playing XI in the initial league-stage matches. KKR added him to the playing combination only to replace a struggling de Kock.
However, the 23-year-old failed to repay the faith shown in him by the KKR management. He also endured a similar lean patch of form and ended up with just 74 runs in five matches.
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The Madhya Pradesh batter, Venkatesh Iyer, emerged as a brilliant find of KKR during the second half of the IPL 2021 in the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The southpaw notched up 370 runs in 10 matches and established himself as one of the mainstays at KKR. He also played a crucial role in KKR’s third title win in IPL 2024. His consistency over the years propelled the franchise to bring him back in their squad ahead of the latest IPL season.
After engaging in a bidding battle with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the Knight Riders brought back Venkatesh for a huge sum of INR 23.75 crore. But a poor form and also losing his usual position of No.3 saw the 30-year-old score only 142 runs in 11 matches. Moreover, RCB’s continued interest in roping in the batter in the IPL 2026 auction has almost finalised his exit from the KKR camp.
The former KKR player, Rahul Tripathi, was roped in by one of the most successful IPL franchises, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), for INR 3.40 crore. Earlier, the batter had an average three-year stint while playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Tripathi scored 165 runs in six fixtures of IPL 2024 at a strike rate of 143.48.
But he failed to put up impressive performances in the Yellow outfit and managed just 55 runs in five matches at a sub-par strike rate of 96.49. Likewise, his team, CSK, also endured a tough season and would look to build up a strong squad in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction.
The veteran pacer Mohammed Shami had a stunning two-year stint with the Gujarat Titans (GT) and scalped a total of 48 wickets. However, the bowler missed the IPL 2024 due to an ankle injury. The IPL 2022 champions, GT, released the pacer from their squad during the IPL 2025 mega auction.
But SRH acquired the pace spearhead for a huge INR 10 crore for the IPL 2025. Unfortunately, after his comeback from the injury, the bowler failed to regain his fiery form. He snared just six wickets in nine matches at a high economy rate of 11.23, before being axed from the team’s playing XI. Shami’s poor stats in the IPL 2025 confirm his release from the Orange Army ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
