New Delhi, Nov 15 (NationPress) The five-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), have taken a surprising step by parting ways with the talented left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur during the IPL 2026 retention period.

This decision has taken many by surprise, especially since MI had discovered Puthur from their extensive scouting operations and he had shown great promise during the franchise’s trials. His potential was evident when he made a memorable debut by dismissing Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda in Chennai.

However, sources familiar with the situation have informed IANS that the release of Puthur is primarily due to his ongoing recovery from an injury. “Vignesh is currently rehabilitating from an injury he sustained in the Kerala Cricket League. MI remains committed to supporting him through his recovery, even after deciding to release him ahead of the IPL 2026 auction scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi,” sources added.

Puthur had previously been sidelined for IPL 2025 due to stress reactions in both shins and was replaced by Raghu Sharma for the remainder of the season, during which MI finished in third place. Although Puthur made a comeback to play in two matches for Alleppey Ripples in KCL 2025, he had to withdraw from the league due to another shin injury.

Meanwhile, discussions regarding a trade between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul reportedly fell through after intervention from one of DC’s co-owners, who halted the deal.

It is worth noting that this same owner played a significant role in facilitating Nitish Rana's transfer to DC from Rajasthan Royals (RR), which surprised many in the IPL community, especially since RR had been in advanced talks with KKR regarding Rana, who had been with them from 2018 to 2024.

On another note, the release of Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis by Punjab Kings (PBKS) surprised many, considering his crucial contributions to their runner-up finish in IPL 2025. Sources have indicated to IANS that Inglis will be unavailable for most of IPL 2026 due to his upcoming wedding, which coincides with the tournament.

“He will need time for rest and to plan for his wedding after participating in the Men’s T20 World Cup, which is set to take place in India and Sri Lanka in February-March. His current focus is on excelling for Australian cricket,” sources further stated.