The retention deadline for IPL 2026 will close on November 15.
The Indian Premier League has delivered 18 blockbuster seasons to date. And in each of those seasons, one message has been loud and clear – Expect the unexpected! Year after year, the tournament has showcased trades and transfers that have dropped the jaw of millions around the globe. And the IPL 2026 season promises to be one such, once again!
As the countdown to the IPL 2026 season awaits, franchises will be gearing up to fine-tune their squads further. The best way to get to that destination would be to chop and change a few things in the team. And that is exactly why the auction would be important.
But before the IPL 2026 auction, the deadline to submit the release and retention lists. Franchises are expected to submit their lists by November 15. Here are some of the releases that might be served with a dip of controversy, en route to the 19th edition of the IPL.
Him being released by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is enough to send shockwaves across the IPL fraternity. Rishabh Pant, currently known to be one of the most destructive batters in the Indian setup, has had hit altercations with injuries in the recent past.
The fact that he hasn’t had a lot of game time in the limited-overs formats could be a reason for the franchise to think of releasing him before the IPL 2026. Though he struck 269 in 14 innings in the last season, 118* of those came in a single innings. His average was around the 25-run mark, which was not substantial for a batter in the middle order.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter was traded to the Delhi Capitals before the commencement of IPL 2025, after his stint with LSG. In 13 games last season, Rahul scored 539 runs and was one of the highest run-scorers of the tournament. Having said that, there are better opportunities with other franchises for the 33-year-old. Teams like KKR are interested in looking out for Rahul due to the vast set of skills. A wicketkeeper, captain and a top-order batter are all the roles which the Knights will get in a single player.
This will be one of the instances where the release will not be on the basis of performance. However, after the season he has had in his maiden stint with the Capitals, it would be extremely hard for the franchise and fans to let him go before IPL 2026. But at the end of the day, both parties have to be on the same page for the player to stay.
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It was not long ago that Mohammed Siraj ruled the hearts of every Indian fan after his heroics in the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. However, this is a completely different ball game. Siraj is yet to prove his mettle in the IPL, and that might result in some tough calls from the franchise’s end.
The 31-year-old pacer was picked to play for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the recent season, after representing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for seven seasons in a row. But the issue was his economy. In the previous season, Siraj’s economy stood at 9.24 runs per over, which was his second-highest in the five recent seasons of the IPL.
Though the speedster has pace in his wings, control is a bit of an issue in the shortest format. Additionally, Siraj has not shown a lot of variations in the league, and is hence taken to the cleaners quite often in the death overs. However, if he is released from GT ahead of IPL 2026, it would be debatable. Teams would be interested to bid for him, but how it will sit with GT fans should be anyone’s guess.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fans are not going to like this. Andre Russell has been one of the first players to be picked in the playing XI ahead of any match. Though nothing about consistency, it was more about the impact which he created on the field.
A very few players in the world have a diverse resume like the West Indian all-rounder. Russell has played in almost every franchise league in the world, with some good performances. In recent years, Russell’s average has gone down consistently and has not shown any promising signs of growth.
The all-rounder from the Caribbean has been inconsistent lately in the IPL. Though his strike rates have fared well, his ability to produce impactful performances has gone down drastically. In 13 innings, he has managed to score just 167 runs in the recent season. Moreover, he was able to scalp just eight wickets. The 37-year-old has been a lot more impactful with the ball than with the bat.
If the Knight Riders release Russell ahead of the IPL 2026 season, it would be shocking for the fans. But it might be the right decision to make for the franchise.
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