After the IPL 2026 retention list announcement by the franchises, it was a trigger for different kinds of analysis to start everywhere. But the bigger picture is still to be seen on the day of December 16, when the franchises will try to win in the IPL 2026 auction taking place in Abu Dhabi.
Among various reasons that franchises would have penned down for releases, the big factor of age would have been the most crucial one. Moreover, performances will also be taken into account. But when one considers the age factor and then performance together, it turns out to be a very dangerous combination.
Now, let me tell you about five players who might not be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) future again after their long association with the league.
IPL Players Who Might Never Be Retained
Faf du Plessis
Last played vs PBKS in IPL 2025
The ex-captain of the South African team has played for four different teams during his IPL career. The last one being the Delhi Capitals (DC). However, Faf du Plessis was among the few who did not make it to the IPL 2026 retention list prior to the IPL 2026 auction in December.
Faf du Plessis had played nine games in IPL 2025 in which he managed to get 202 runs at an average of 22.44, and it did not look very promising. This might have been the case for his releasing from the team, on the other hand, there is a very slim chance that the 41-year-old may have already played his final IPL match.
Lungi Ngidi
Last played in IPL 2025 vs SRH
The 29-year-old, after spending three years with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), had a brief hiatus to his IPL career before partnering with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2025. However, it was Lungi Ngidi who only saw action in two matches, getting four wickets for the franchise.
Even though he is not that young anymore, his performances, combined with the needs of every franchise, might not put him in the list of the most wanted players.
Devon Conway
Last played in IPL 2025 vs GT
The 34-year-old New Zealand batsman who was released by the IPL champion five times might be one of the players who will never appear in the tournament again. Devon Conway had his finest season with CSK in 2023 when he accumulated a staggering total of 672 runs in 14 matches with an exceptional average of 51.69. The New Zealand player was not included in the IPL 2026 retention list.
However, his performance in IPL 2025 was below par, and he could not score runs quickly. Moreover, the left-handed batsman participated in only six out of the fourteen games played by CSK and managed to average just 26. His performances have been inconsistent lately, but the player’s demand in the market would be a significant factor in deciding his future, and that is where Conway might lag behind a few players.
Glenn Maxwell
Last played in IPL 2025 vs KKR
This is an adventurous forecast! There are speculations that the 37-year-old Australian all-rounder will not participate in the auction of IPL 2026 after being let go by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the 19th edition of the league. Glenn Maxwell has been a great player in the tournament’s past, but his constant unavailability will not be in his favor.
In the previous season, he played just 7 matches and scored only 48 runs with an average of below 10 for PBKS. He was also not bowling much, and that might have affected the chances of PBKS in the tournament. There is no question about the player’s skills; however, his uncertain availability will be a concern.
Deepak Hooda
Most recently played in IPL 2025 against GT
Also, Deepak Hooda would be excluded from the list not because of the age factor but performance factor. The all-rounder who is only 30 years of age would give a lot goes in terms of his skills. Unfortunately, the last few seasons have been such that none of those skills have been visible on the field.
Statistically speaking, Hooda has been below par and has not hit a batting average of more than 20 in four out of his last five seasons. He played seven matches in the last season as part of the Men in Yellow and managed to score just 31 runs at an average of 6.20 which is very poor indeed.
