The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been attracting the best talent from all around the globe since its inception all the way back in 2008.
Be it young and upcoming stars or cricketing veterans, all kinds of players are seen in the competition every year.
The next edition of the IPL is still pretty far away at this point, but with the auction just around the corner, excitement is gradually building in the fanbase.
Unfortunately, some big names will not be a participating in it next year, having confirmed their exit in the past few days.
These 3 Stars Will Not Play In IPL 2026
1) Andre Russell
Andre Russell established himself has a destructive lower-order batsman, and a wicket-taking mid-innings fast bowler over the years.
His exploits with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) rendered the West Indian all-rounder a legend at the franchise.
KKR releasing him ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction raised eyebrows, and many other franchises were speculated to have a go at signing him. Sadly, Russell recently announced his retirement from the competition, revealing that he would now be continuing as Kolkata’s ‘Power Coach’.
2) Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis is best-known for his time with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He scored many runs for the 5-time champions up top, and won two titles with them, in 2018 and 2021.
He then went on to captain the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and last played for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL. Faf, like Russell, was released before the auction, after which he announced that he would be taking part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) next year instead.
3) Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell shot to fame with his explosive stint with the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2014. He reached the finals with them that year, scoring 500+ runs, and was a hot commodity in the competition for a few years afterwards.
The veteran hadn’t been at his best in the last couple of years, got released, and then announced, via an Instagram post, that he wouldn’t be putting his name in the IPL 2026 Auction.

