IPL 2026 Retention & Release List: Full Squads, Auction Purse, Key Updates & Trending Questions Explained

The Indian Premier League (IPL) remains India’s most exciting cricket tournament, blending world-class cricket with high entertainment value. With the TATA IPL 2026 season approaching, all 10 franchises have confirmed which players they are retaining and which ones they have released ahead of the December auction.

IPL 2026 Retained Players – Complete Team-Wise List

The retention window for IPL 2026 closed on 15 November 2025. A total of 173 players were retained, including 49 overseas cricketers. The 10 teams will enter the auction with a combined purse of ₹237.55 crore to fill 77 slots.

IPL 2026: Squad Size, Salary Cap & Available Slots

Franchise	Players	Overseas	Money Spent (₹ Cr)	Salary Cap Left (₹ Cr)	Available Slots	Overseas Slots
CSK	16	4	81.6	43.4	9	4
DC	17	3	103.2	21.8	8	5
GT	20	4	112.1	12.9	5	4
KKR	12	2	60.7	64.3	13	6
LSG	19	4	102.05	22.95	6	4
MI	20	7	122.25	2.75	5	1
PBKS	21	6	113.5	11.5	4	2
RCB	17	6	108.6	16.4	8	2
RR	16	7	108.95	16.05	9	1
SRH	15	6	99.5	25.5	10	2

Team-Wise IPL 2026 Retained Players

Below is the full rundown of all 10 teams and their retained squads.

1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

16 retained | 4 overseas | Spent: ₹81.60 Cr | Purse left: ₹43.40 Cr

Key Players: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson (traded), Nathan Ellis*, Noor Ahmad*, Dewald Brevis*

2. Delhi Capitals (DC)

17 retained | 3 overseas | Spent: ₹103.20 Cr | Purse left: ₹21.80 Cr

Key Players: KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc*, Dushmantha Chameera*, Tristan Stubbs*

3. Gujarat Titans (GT)

20 retained | 4 overseas | Spent: ₹112.10 Cr | Purse left: ₹12.90 Cr

Key Players: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan*, Jos Buttler*, Kagiso Rabada*, Mohammad Siraj

4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

12 retained | 2 overseas | Spent: ₹60.70 Cr | Purse left: ₹64.30 Cr (highest)

Key Players: Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine*, Rovman Powell*, Varun Chakaravarthy, Umran Malik

5. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

19 retained | 4 overseas | Spent: ₹102.05 Cr | Purse left: ₹22.95 Cr

Key Players: Nicholas Pooran*, Aiden Markram*, Mitchell Marsh*, Mayank Yadav, Md Shami (trade)

6. Mumbai Indians (MI)

20 retained | 7 overseas | Spent: ₹122.25 Cr | Purse left: ₹2.75 Cr

Key Players: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Trent Boult*, Will Jacks*, Ryan Rickelton*

7. Punjab Kings (PBKS)

21 retained | 6 overseas | Spent: ₹113.50 Cr | Purse left: ₹11.50 Cr

Key Players: Marcus Stoinis*, Lockie Ferguson*, Marco Jansen*, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal

8. Rajasthan Royals (RR)

16 retained | 7 overseas | Spent: ₹108.95 Cr | Purse left: ₹16.05 Cr

Key Players: Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Jofra Archer*, Sam Curran*, Ravindra Jadeja (trade)

9. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

17 retained | 6 overseas | Spent: ₹108.60 Cr | Purse left: ₹16.40 Cr

Key Players: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt*, Tim David*, Josh Hazlewood*, Krunal Pandya, Devdutt Padikkal

10. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

15 retained | 6 overseas | Spent: ₹99.50 Cr | Purse left: ₹25.50 Cr

Key Players: Heinrich Klaasen*, Pat Cummins*, Travis Head*, Ishan Kishan, Harshal Patel

IPL 2026 Released Players — Full List Team-Wise

Each team released players to free up purse space. Major big releases include Andre Russell, Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana, Ravi Bishnoi, and Quinton de Kock.

A few highlights:

Notable CSK Releases

Devon Conway*, Matheesha Pathirana*, Rachin Ravindra*, Sam Curran*, Vijay Shankar

Major DC Releases

Faf du Plessis*, Jake Fraser-McGurk*, Mohit Sharma

KKR’s Shock Releases

Andre Russell*, Quinton de Kock*, Anrich Nortje*, Moeen Ali*

LSG Big Exits

David Miller*, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph*

MI Releases

Mujeeb Ur Rahman*, Reece Topley*, Lizaad Williams*

RR Cuts

Fazalhaq Farooqi*, Maheesh Theekshana*, Wanindu Hasaranga*

RCB Releases

Liam Livingstone*, Lungi Ngidi*, Mayank Agarwal

SRH Releases

Adam Zampa*, Wiaan Mulder*, Rahul Chahar

Trending Searches & Public Curiosity Explained

These queries are trending rapidly and needed clarification:

Is RCB banned from IPL 2026?

No.
There is no official ban on Royal Challengers Bengaluru. RCB is fully participating in IPL 2026 and has already published its retained squad.

Jadeja 2026 IPL Team

Ravindra Jadeja has moved from CSK to Rajasthan Royals (RR) through a trade.

Sanju Samson IPL 2026 Team

Sanju Samson has joined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) via trade.

IPL 2026 Mini Auction Date

The auction will be held on:
16 December 2025
Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi

IPL 2026 Trade Players List

Major confirmed trades include:

• Ravindra Jadeja → RR
• Sanju Samson → CSK
• Md Shami → LSG
• Mayank Markande → MI
• Sherfane Rutherford → MI