The IPL 2026 season has been marred by player absences, with a total financial impact of Rs 57.6 crore due to injuries, withdrawals, and other unavailability. Kolkata Knight Riders, who entered the auction with the largest purse of Rs 64.30 crore, have been particularly affected, missing key players like Matheesha Pathirana, valued at Rs 18 crore, and Harshit Rana, valued at Rs 4 crore. Rajasthan Royals also suffered a setback with the absence of Sam Curran, who was ruled out after a trade from Chennai Super Kings (CSK). CSK faced challenges with missing pacers like Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis, while Mumbai Indians dealt with Rohit Sharma's injury issues. Additionally, New Zealand's Mitchell Santner is out for the rest of the tournament due to a shoulder injury. The situation has been further complicated by the late arrival of Australian players like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Notably, Mustafizur Rahman was released by KKR due to political tensions between India and Bangladesh, and England's Ben Duckett opted out to focus on Test cricket.