5 players who played IPL 2025 but are missing in 2026

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen a lot of players come and go in its 19-year history. However, with the going of former legends comes a chance for new, hungry players to stamp their authority in the tournament. 

The IPL has seen a host of players retire from the tournament having left a permanent mark in the history of the great franchise tournament in the world. These include the likes of Lasith Malinga, Sachin Tendulkar, David Warner and Shane Warne to name a few. 

It is, however, worth mentioning that not every player missing out in the 2026 IPL will never make a comeback. Sometimes players that are left unsold in the auction can make a comeback as an injury replacement for a certain franchise midway through the competition. 

Here are 5 players who played in the 2025 IPL but are missing in 2026 edition 

5. Jonny Bairstow – England

Jonny Bairstow has always been on the cusp of missing out on the Indian Premier League (IPL). The England wicketkeeper went unsold during the 2025 auction but was later picked up by the Mumbai Indians during the latter stages of the tournament as a replacement for Will Jacks.

The hard-hitting batter went unsold in the most recent mini-auction, meaning that this could very well be the end of his IPL career.

Bairstow played for three franchises – Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians – scoring 1,674 runs from 52 games in the world’s biggest franchise tournament. He went on to score two centuries, with his most recent coming against the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, where his unbeaten 108 from 48 balls saw the Punjab Kings chase down 262.

4. Deepak Hooda – India

Deepak Hooda first featured in the IPL back in 2015 for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The former India international, however, went unsold in the 2026 mini auction after representing the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the 2025 season. 

Hooda has played for five franchises over the course of his IPL career. These include the aforementioned CSK and RR along with Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

The 30-year-old played 125 times in the IPL, scoring 1,496 runs and taking 10 wickets. His best season came in 2022 when he scored 451 runs for LSG in their debut campaign.

3. Faf du Plessis – South Africa 

Faf du Plessis is a modern-day IPL great. After representing some of the biggest franchises in the tournament’s history, including the Royal Challengers (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the former South Africa international decided to withdraw from the 2026 mini auction. 

Du Plessis went on to win the IPL with CSK on two occasions, first in 2018 and then again in 2021. He scored 4,773 runs in 154 games in the marquee T20 tournament at an average of 35.09. His best season with the bat came in 2023 when he scored 730 runs for the RCB side. 

Du Plessis, 41, played for the Delhi Capitals in 2025 in what could be his final season in the IPL. He scored just 202 runs last year at a strike rate of 123.92.

2. Karn Sharma – India

Karn Sharma has played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and, most recently, the Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2025. 

The 38-year-old entered the mini auction at a base price of INR 50 lakh but went unsold, meaning he won’t feature in the tournament in 2026. 

Sharma has played 90 times in the IPL since first making his debut back in 2009 with RCB. He has taken 83 wickets, including seven last year for the MI side. The all-rounder has won the IPL four times in his career. He surprisingly went on to win three consecutive trophies for three different sides. He was part of the SRH squad which won in 2016, then for MI in 2017 and then with CSK in 2018.

1. Andre Russell – West Indies

One of the greatest players to grace the IPL, Andre Russell is synonymous with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The former West Indies all-rounder played two seasons with the Delhi Capitals before spending 11 successful campaigns at the Eden Gardens. 

Russell retired from the tournament before joining KKR’s backroom staff ahead of the 2026 season. The 37-year-old went on to make 140 appearances in the IPL, where he scored 2,651 runs and took 123 wickets. The fearsome all-rounder went on to win the tournament with the Knight Riders in 2014 and 2024. He even won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice – in 2015 and 2019.

Russell would be a major miss for KKR and the fans of the tournament in general. The Kolkata-based side have spent big on Australian Cameron Green in order to replace the great West Indian.