Russell, Maxwell, De Kock: Who Will Buy These IPL 2026 Stars?

The time has come for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction as the franchises are preparing to bolster their teams and plan for the next season. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the auction will be held on December 16 at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, thereby making it the third consecutive year that the player draft has been held outside India followed by Dubai in 2024 and Jeddah in 2025.

Before the auction, the teams were required to present their lists of retained and released players by November 15, leaving a total of 77 slots available for the players who will be bought at the full amount of ₹237.55 crore. The market of the top players has created a lot of noise not only among the franchises but also among the fans.

Top Free Agents Up for Grabs

Andre Russell – Kolkata Knight Riders

The explosive Jamaican all-rounder, who was once a major player for KKR, comes into the auction with a ₹12 crore base price. He is attracting a lot of attention from the Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, and Punjab Kings who are looking for a finishing specialist along with his power hitting and death-over bowling abilities.

Venkatesh Iyer – Kolkata Knight Riders

Fans were shocked by KKR’s decision to release Iyer as the top-order batter was retained for ₹23.75 crore last year. His unimpressive 2025 season performances have decreased his expected bid price and, thus, teams looking for aggressive opening options may find value in it.

Glenn Maxwell – Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB let go of the Australian middle-order hitter after a season of erratic performances. It is reported that the finishing skills of Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants are very much in demand, and that they intend to take on any squad looking to balance their batting lineup through their acquiring of such players.

Ravi Bishnoi – Lucknow Super Giants

He had an unimpressive season in which he was able to take only nine wickets in eleven games, so he was let go even if he was retained for a whopping ₹11 crore. He has the quality of being a highly demanded player if a team needs the spin department to be strengthened due to his international experience and skill at handling the middle overs.

Quinton de Kock – Kolkata Knight Riders

The South African wicketkeeper-batsman had a bad season which was the reason why KKR decided to unlist him. Both the Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians have shown their willingness to sign him as he can serve the team as both a hard-hitting batter and a good keeper.

Faf du Plessis – Royal Challengers Bangalore

The South African veteran, once a major IPL character, is now free because of the below-par performance in the most recent season. The Lucknow Super Giants and the Punjab Kings are eyeing him for his experience and leadership that could be a deciding factor in creating a winning strategy.

Adam Zampa – Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Australian leg-spinner had to leave although he had international credentials. Teams like KKR and Delhi Capitals are looking at him as a potential overseas bowler to fill their vacancies for the specialist spinners.

Devon Conway – Chennai Super Kings

The New Zealand opener could not achieve the needed level of performance consistently which made CSK let him go. His aggressive batting style is attracting teams that are trying to rebuild their top order, like Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.

Matheesha Pathirana – Chennai Super Kings

The Sri Lankan pacer was not very consistent but still he is a player that franchises consider as a source of raw pace and death-over bowling expertise that they need. It is reported that several teams are interested in him, with CSK being one of them.