Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell hasn’t registered for the upcoming IPL 2026 auction and seems to have played his last in the cash-rich league. As per an ESPNCricinfo report, Maxwell wasn’t one of the names on the list of 1,355 players headlined by Cameron Green, Venkatesh Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Liam Livingstone and Jamie Smith, among others and the 37-year-old confirmed the same on his Instagram with a post, saying that it was a big call but taken with a lot of gratitude to the IPL, the way it shaped his career and to all the players and coaches he was associated with in the last 13 years.
“After many unforgettable seasons in the IPL, I’ve decided not to put my name in the auction this year. It’s a big call, and one made with a lot of gratitude for everything this league has given me,” Maxwell wrote on his Instagram.
"The IPL has helped shape me as a cricketer and as a person. I’ve been lucky to play with world-class teammates, represent incredible franchises, and perform in front of fans whose passion is unmatched. The memories, the challenges, and the energy of India will stay with me forever. Thank you for all your support over the years. Hopefully see you soon,” Maxwell added.
Maxwell represented four franchises across his 141-match career in the IPL, scoring 2,819 runs with the bat, while also taking 41 wickets with the ball. Maxwell had three of his most successful seasons in the IPL, playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2021, 2022 and 2023, before recording his worst season in 2024 and being released.
Maxwell's homecoming for the Punjab Kings wasn't the greatest as he scored 48 runs in six innings in seven matches before his campaign was cut short due to an injury. Maxwell, who was picked by the Punjab Kings at last year's mega auction for INR 4.2 crore, didn't play the full season for the Kings after sustaining an injury and was replaced by the fellow Australian all-rounder Mitch Owen in the squad, whom the last season's finalists ended up retaining.
Maxwell was expected to be one of the in-demand players at the next auction despite his meagre returns in the last couple of seasons in the IPL and hence, him not entering the pool was definitely a surprise. The all-rounder became the fourth marquee player to pull out of the upcoming IPL auction. Two of them, Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali, will be playing in the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), set to run simultaneously with the IPL, while Andre Russell, another potential big buy, retired from the tournament after being appointed as the 'Power Coach' for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
With Maxwell not being part of the auction, the likes of Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone, Delano Potgieter, Sikandar Raza and Jason Holder will be among a few all-rounders who might see their prices soar a bit further.
Only two Indians to register at the highest base price
Only two Indian players, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi, have registered for the IPL 2026 auction at the highest base price of INR 2 crore, among 45 players. Iyer was released by the Knight Riders after being bought for INR 23.75 crore at the mega auction. Being a top-order, left-handed, proven Indian batter in the IPL, Iyer is likely to fetch a double-digit contract once again and with KKR entering the auction with the biggest purse, the tall Madhya Pradesh cricketer might go back to his previous franchise.
Bishnoi, on the other hand, has had diminishing returns for the Lucknow Super Giants in the last couple of years and with him retained for INR 11 crore, he didn't offer much to the bowling and was released. Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings will be in the market for someone like Bishnoi, who has international experience and is probably the most high-profile spinner at the auction among domestic options.
