The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have announced the list of their retained players ahead of the upcoming auction. Surprisingly, many well-known Indian players have been released by their franchises. Let's have a look at the released players inside.

Sanju Samson

Rajasthan Royals’ star keeper-batter Sanju Samson has been released by the franchise and has moved to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the trade deal for INR 18 crore ($1.8 million). With Samson gone, RR now has a major decision to make about who will lead the team in IPL 2026.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja’s release from Chennai Super Kings has come as one of the biggest surprises before the IPL 2026 auction. The former CSK captain will now represent Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the next IPL season. Under the trade deal, his league fee has been revised from INR 18 crore to INR 14 crore ($1.4 million).

Venkatesh Iyer

Venkatesh Iyer, released at ₹23.75 crore ($2.83 million), struggled for consistency with both bat and ball in the last IPL season. He managed to score only 142 runs in 11 matches at an average of 20.28. With this dip in form, KKR decided to send the top-order all-rounder back into the auction pool.

Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi’s release has also surprised Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fans, as he was a reliable wicket-taker in the middle overs for the team. Bishnoi will now be one of the key spin options in the IPL 2026 auction.

Mohammed Shami

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have released experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami after a disappointing last IPL season. He will now join Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) through a successful trade worth ₹10 crore ($1 million).

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