3 released players who might start a bidding war among franchises at auction

Saturday, November 15, was the final day for announcing retentions for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. While most of them retained their star performers, there were some big names that were released.

They will enter the mini-auction, which is set to be held on December 16, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Franchise owners will be looking to acquire their services to strengthen their teams heading into the 2026 edition of the IPL.

On this note, let's take a look at three released players who might start a bidding war among franchises at the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

3 released players who might start a bidding war among franchises at auction

3. Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi had been associated with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since IPL 2022, when the franchise made its maiden appearance. The talented leg-spinner went on to make his international debut in the same year. He was retained for INR 11 crore. However, 2025 wasn't the kind of year Bishnoi would have hoped for.

The 25-year-old lost his place in the Indian side and was outperformed by an inexperienced Digvesh Rathi in IPL 2025. In 11 matches, he picked up nine wickets at an average of 44.56 and an economy rate of 10.84. Bishnoi has the experience of playing 42 T20Is and 77 IPL games. Several teams are expected to bid for him, and this could result in a major bidding war.