The roar for the next edition of the Indian Premier League is buzzing around as the last date to submit the retention list ahead of the IPL 2026 auction is on November 15. All ten teams are set to reveal the list of players whom they want to release or retain ahead of the next edition.
Hence, there will be a lot of excitement and nerves around; just like every season, we might see some big names getting released and some surprise retentions. The IPL 2025 was another blockbuster, which was Royal Challengers Bengaluru ending their 18th season trophy drought.
With a lot of rumors spreading around, there is a possibility that players like Heinrich Klaasen, Mitchell Starc, Venkatesh Iyer, and others might be released. A few teams will also look for a new captain for the coming season. Hence, some captains who led their teams in 2025 might be released. Here we will talk about three captains who might be released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Three Captains who might be released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction
Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders)
The three-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders made a big surprise when they released Shreyas Iyer ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. They bought seasoned batter Ajinkya Rahane and handed him the captaincy. It didn't work well for KKR, as they finished 8th on the table with only five wins in the season. Rahane individually was brilliant and scored the most runs for his team.
He finished with 390 runs in 13 games at an average of 35.45 and a strike rate of 147.72. Clearly, he was not at his best, and his team also couldn't perform in the entire season. That might go against him when the franchise submits their retention sheet. If they can release Iyer, who led them to their third title in 2024, then there are massive chances that Rahane might also get released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)
Sanju Samson is another name that can come under the hammer or be traded by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The star opener has been with the franchise since his IPL debut in 2013 (two seasons with DC 2016-2017) and has led them in the last few seasons now. He is their highest scorer in the IPL, with 4219 runs in 155 matches.
Apart from the 2022 final, RR has not achieved much under Samson's captaincy. Even he didn't play all matches in 2025 and finished with 285 runs in nine innings. RR are grooming Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhurv Jurel, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, which might see Samson getting released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. There have been some rumors that the franchise is in talks with some other teams to trade Samson.
Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants)
Rishabh Pant made history when he bagged a deal of a whopping 27 crore by Lucknow Super Giants at the auction, which made him the costliest player ever in IPL history. But Pant couldn't do justice to the price tag he came with. He ended up with 269 runs in 14 matches, including an unbeaten 118, which came in the last innings. This was also the first time since his debut in 2016 that Pant couldn't score 300 runs in the entire season.
After the IPL 2025, there were some rumors that Pant and LSG want to part ways. And it won't be a surprise if it becomes true. LSG might look to release him, which will give them 27 crores to their purse, and then rebuy him at a slightly lower price or look for some other options as captain.