The IPL retention lists have been made public, and the teams are looking forward to the mini auction for the purpose of making strategic signings and getting the best out of their respective squads. The three most followed IPL franchises, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, would like to enrich their existing squads with very minor changes. Yet, probably some players released by these three teams won’t attract any bidders because of a few valid reasons, which are stated below.
RCB and CSK Players Who Might Go Unsold in the IPL
Reece Topley
What seems to be the reason for Reece Topley not getting sold at the IPL 2026 auction?
Statistical evidence implies that Reece Topley still needs to prove his worth in the Indian Premier League. The left-arm paceman has picked only five wickets over six matches with a horrendous average of 44.40. He has been giving runs at a rate of 11.10, thereby exposing his inability to limit the run-scoring.
Although Topley was included in the Mumbai Indians roster, he participated in one match only during the 2025 season, where he went for 40 runs in his three-over spell without taking any wickets. Losing out on playing time due to injuries has also been a reason for Topley’s diminished effectiveness as a bowler, and he has been pretty much sidelined from the money-spinning league.
Thus, with Topley being a failure and injury-prone, no team may find him worthy at the mini auction.
Deepak Hooda
What seems to be the reason for Deepak Hooda not getting sold at the IPL 2026 auction?
There was a period when Deepak Hooda was an indispensable member of the Indian T20I team. However, the decline in his performance ultimately caused him to be dropped from the squad, and he now finds himself on the edge of an IPL exclusion after a three-year drought of runs.
In terms of numbers, Deepak Hooda scored only 260 runs, which included 15 single-digit scores, at a shocking average of 10.8 and a strike rate of 110.2. 31 runs in five matches at an average of barely over five; such terrible statistics perfectly illustrate Hooda’s IPL 2025 season. Thus, with many up-and-coming middle-order batsmen probably coming into the auction, the possibility of Hooda getting a bid for himself seems quite dim.
Kamlesh Nagarkoti
What are the reasons for Kamlesh Nagarkoti’s possible unsold status in IPL 2026 auction?
During the 2018 under-19 World Cup, Kamlesh Nagarkoti was the topic of discussion as he turned out to be one of India’s foremost wicket-takers. Besides sheer speed, the pacer’s ability to swing the new ball made him a candidate for leading the fast bowling unit of India.
On the flip side, however, injuries kept occurring frequently and hampered his career which eventually could not even take off in T20s. The pacer has represented his franchise only in 12 IPL matches and has taken 5 wickets at a dismal average of 57 and poor economy of 9.50.
Therefore, since he does not add any quality or depth to the fast bowling department, none of the IPL teams may be interested in picking Kamlesh Nagarkoti in the mini auction.
Mayank Agarwal
What are the reasons for Mayank Agarwal’s possible unsold status in IPL 2026 auction?.
Mayank Agarwal after two back-to-back phenomenal seasons with the Punjab Kings in 2020 and 2021 found his IPL journey hampered by poor form. The seasoned opener has only 625 runs from his last 30 innings in the IPL.
His average of little over 21 indicates that he is not as reliable as he used to be, but his strike rate of 127 implies that Agarwal has been rather shy with the bat in the tournament.
Mayank was left without a sale in the mega auction until Devdutt Padikkal’s injury, which made RCB take him in as a substitute. Nevertheless, the 34-year-old might have a hard time getting picked by the IPL franchises as quite a few high-profile flamboyant hitters are likely to get into the auction pool.
