New Delhi: There were some shock releases and surprise retentions as all ten Indian Premier League (IPL) teams released their final list of released and retained players ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made the boldest statement ahead of the auction by releasing their vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer, who was their most expensive buy in the IPL 2025 mega auction.

KKR paid a whopping Rs 23.75 crore to buy back Iyer in the IPL mega auction last year, but decided to release him after he failed to deliver last season. KKR also parted ways with their superstar all-rounder Andre Russell, who was one of the longest-serving players at the franchise alongside Sunil Narine. Russell was retained by KKR for Rs 12 crore ahead of IPL 2025.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also made their intentions clear by releasing a total of nine players after trading Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals (RR) for Sanju Samson. They let go of Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who they retained for Rs 14 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, along with the likes of Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda.

Here is a look at top five most expensive players released ahead of IPL 2026 auction:

Venkatesh Iyer – Rs 23.75 crore

Venkatesh Iyer became the third-most expensive player in IPL history after being roped in by KKR for Rs 23.75 crore in the mega auction last year. Despite being handed over vice-captaincy last season, Iyer has been released by KKR ahead of IPL 2026 owing to his dismal show last season. Iyer managed only 142 runs in 11 matches in IPL 2025 and didn’t contribute at all with the ball. He is the most expensive player released ahead of the next auction.

Matheesha Pathirana – Rs 14 crore

Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana is the second-most expensive release ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. CSK invested heavily in the 22-year-old quick, who was retained for Rs 14 crore by the franchise ahead of IPL 2025. However, a dip in his form and his injury troubles have forced CSK to release Pathirana. The Sri Lankan pacer, who is known for his slingy action and ability to nail Yorkers consistently, picked up 13 wickets in 12 matches last season.

Andre Rusell – Rs 12 crore

Kolkata Knight Riders ended their long-term association with Andre Russell, who had been with the franchise since 2014. Russell was synonymous with KKR’s success in the IPL and played a crucial role in their title triumph in the 2024 season with 222 runs and 19 wickets in 15 matches. Russell was retained by KKR for Rs 12 crore ahead of IPL 2025. However, he has been released following his dismal show last season, where he managed 167 runs and 8 wickets in 13 matches.

Liam Livingstone – Rs 11.50 crore

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) parted ways with England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who they roped in for Rs 11.50 crore in the mega auction last year. Livingstone failed to live up to the expectations despite RCB lifting their maiden title in IPL 2025, as he managed only 112 runs and got two wickets with the ball in 10 matches.

Ravi Bishnoi – Rs 11 crore

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) let go of Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who had been part of the franchise since their IPL debut in 2022. Bishnoi was LSG’s leading wicket-taker with 48 wickets in 54 matches and was retained by the franchise for Rs 11 crore last year. However, he was released by the franchise after picking up 9 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 10.84 last season.