New Delhi, Nov 14 (NationPress) With less than 24 hours remaining for the ten participating franchises to finalize their retention strategies for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, discussions are heating up regarding which players will be departing. The primary objective seems to be enhancing team compositions rather than a full overhaul.

Reports suggest that Punjab Kings may part ways with Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, and Kyle Jamieson, who stepped in as a replacement for the injured Lockie Ferguson during IPL 2025, where the team finished as runners-up. Mitch Owen, who joined as an injury substitute for Maxwell, is anticipated to be retained.

On the flip side, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have opted to keep young Indian fast bowler Mayank Yadav, who has only participated in six matches over the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to injuries. Retained by LSG for INR 11 crore, Mayank played just two games this year due to a back issue that required surgical treatment in New Zealand.

“Mayank has been training and has resumed bowling at the BCCI CoE facility in Bengaluru, where he has been undergoing rehabilitation. He is expected to return to full-fledged bowling by late December or early January, alleviating concerns about his availability for IPL 2026,” a source informed IANS.

Additionally, sources indicate that players like Ravi Bishnoi, David Miller, and Shamar Joseph may enter the auction pool. The three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) might release Venkatesh Iyer, with intentions of possibly reacquiring him in the upcoming mini-auction scheduled for December 15 or 16 in Abu Dhabi.

In terms of potential trades, IANS reports that the Rajasthan Royals are engaged in serious discussions with KKR regarding a possible one-way deal involving Nitish Rana. It remains to be seen how this trade, concerning Rana who was with KKR from 2018 to 2024, will unfold.

KKR could also release South African players Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje, while there’s a chance of retaining Ajinkya Rahane. KKR was also in talks with Delhi Capitals for a possible trade involving KL Rahul, but as of the time of publication, no conclusive information has emerged.

Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals are likely to part ways with pacer T. Natarajan, along with openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Faf du Plessis, as well as some uncapped players who had limited playtime. The Mumbai Indians are expected to release Will Jacks following trades involving Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford earlier this week.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru could bid farewell to players such as Liam Livingstone, Blessing Muzarabani, Yash Dayal, and Rasikh Dar. Five-time winners Chennai Super Kings, who have made headlines recently for a significant trade involving Sanju Samson in exchange for releasing Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, may also let go of Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, and Jamie Overton.