The IPL 2026 auction will be held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. From a large list of almost 1,300 participants, 359 have been chosen to go under the hammer at the miniature auction. The final roster includes 244 Indian cricketers and 115 international players.
More than 350 players will go under the hammer at the IPL 2026 auction but there are only up to 77 spots to be filled with a maximum of 31 not reserved for overseas cricketers across all the teams. IPL 2024 champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with the highest remaining purse of ₹64.30 crore for auction. They can take a maximum of 13, with six from overseas.
The one-day auction will conclude on Tuesday, but the IPL 2026 season is scheduled to take place from March 15 to May 31..Few big names of IPL 2025 won’t play the 26th season. Take a peek.
1. Andre Russell
West Indies star all-rounder Andre Russell who is known for his big hitting had a glorious stint with Kolkata Knight Riders from 2014 to 2025. Russell scored 2,593 runs from 133 IPL matches for KKR at an average of 28.81 and a strike rate of 174.96 — with twelve half-centuries, the highest among which was not out 88*. He had a similar impact with the ball, claiming 122 wickets at 21.59 and an economy of over under-ten (9.47) including one five-for and two four-fors.
But Russell wasn’t retained for the IPL auction in 2026 after below par returns in 2025. He had 167 runs in 10 innings at a strike-rate of 163.72 from and took eight wickets at an economy of 11.94. Last month, Russell announced his retirement from the IPL and also confirmed he is moving into KKR’s support staff as a power-hitting coach.
2. Glenn Maxwell
Australian star Glenn Maxwell will also be absent from IPL 2026 after opting out of the mini-auction. The 37-year-old endured a disappointing 2025 season with Punjab Kings, managing just 48 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 97.95, with 30 of those runs coming in a single knock.
While Maxwell contributed modestly with the ball by taking four wickets at an economy rate of 8.46, his overall returns fell short of expectations. Unsurprisingly, PBKS released him ahead of the auction. Maxwell later described his decision to skip IPL 2026 as a “big call” in an Instagram post, expressing gratitude for what the league has meant to his career.
3. Ravichandran Ashwin
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is not going to be a part of IPL 2026 after ending his long-standing association with the tournament earlier this year. Chennai Super Kings had bought him for ₹9.75 crore at the 2025 mega auction, but his comeback season did not have any impact to talk about. Ashwin picked up seven wickets at an average of 40.42 in nine matches with a economy rate of 9.12.
The selectors, however, were willing to put a World T20 in Ashwin’s hands one more time before he called it quits from all India duty – he retired from Tests at mid series during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December 2024 and announced his IPL retirement in August – with his sights set on playing T20s elsewhere. He was signed by Sydney Thunder for the 2025–26 Big Bash League but withdrew for knee surgery.
4. Faf du Plessis
Among the most prolific overseas batters in IPL history, Faf du Plessis will also not be part of the 2026 season after choosing not to enter the auction. The former South Africa captain scored 4,773 runs in 154 IPL games at an average of 35.09 and a strike rate of 135.78, with 39 half-centuries to his name.
But Du Plessis had a disappointing season in 2025 with Delhi Capitals as he could only manage to score 202 runs in nine innings at an average of 22.44 and strike rate of 123.92. After being released, however, the right-arm bowler did not take part in a fresh auction. He is still a double IPL title winner with CSK and was Player of the Match in the 2021 final after his match-winning 86 against KKR.
5. Moeen Ali
England all-rounder Moeen Ali won’t be playing IPL 2026 after withdrawing his name from the auction in a modest season for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025. Moeen was disappointing with the bat — he made a combined 5 runs in two innings — but did well with the ball, picking up six wickets at an average of 22.66 and at economy rate of just over eight and a half.
The 38-year-old returned while playing for KKR, but since they released him this year he has decided to pull the plug on his league career. Moeen played 73 games in his IPL career and scored 1,167 runs with a strike rate of 139.76. His off-spin yielded 41 victims at 25.09 and a fine economy rate of 7.22.
