Royal Challengers Bangalore claimed their first IPL trophy in June 2025 after beating Punjab Kings by six runs in Ahmedabad to end an 18-year wait.
Five months later, franchises submitted their retention lists on November 15 ahead of the mini-auction scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
Ten teams finalised their squads with significant changes across the competition. Kolkata Knight Riders released Andre Russell after 11 seasons, while Chennai Super Kings parted with 11 players, including Matheesha Pathirana and Devon Conway.
Rajasthan Royals completed a blockbuster trade, bringing Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from Chennai in exchange for Sanju Samson.
This breakdown examines each franchise’s retention strategy, released players, and remaining auction purse. Full squad lists and player analysis follow below.
IPL 2026: Full Lists Of All Teams Retained & Released Players
Franchises retained 173 players, including 49 overseas cricketers, ahead of the auction with a combined purse of Rs 237.55 crore available across 77 player slots.
1. Chennai Super Kings List Of Retained & Released Players
Five-time champions CSK finished last in IPL 2025 with four wins and released 11 players while securing Sanju Samson through a blockbuster trade deal.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Ruturaj Gaikwad (c) | Ravindra Jadeja |
| MS Dhoni | Sam Curran |
| Dewald Brevis | Rahul Tripathi |
| Ayush Mhatre | Vansh Bedi |
| Urvil Patel | Andre Siddarth |
| Anshul Kamboj | Rachin Ravindra |
| Jamie Overton | Deepak Hooda |
| Ramakrishna Ghosh | Vijay Shankar |
| Shivam Dube | Shaik Rasheed |
| Khaleel Ahmed | Kamlesh Nagarkoti |
| Noor Ahmad | Matheesha Pathirana |
| Mukesh Choudhary | Devon Conway |
| Nathan Ellis | Ravichandran Ashwin |
| Shreyas Gopal | |
| Gurjapneet Singh | |
| Sanju Samson |
The biggest shock came with Matheesha Pathirana’s release after his economy rate ballooned to 10.13 in IPL 2025 following modifications to his bowling action.
Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra were also let go despite decent contributions as CSK prioritised a fresh approach.
The blockbuster trade brought Sanju Samson from Rajasthan for Rs 18 crore while sending Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran the other way.
Dewald Brevis emerged as a bright spot with 225 runs at a strike rate of 180 across six innings and earned retention. CSK have Rs 43.4 crore remaining to rebuild their bowling attack and add middle-order depth at the auction.
2. Delhi Capitals List Of Retained & Released Players
Delhi Capitals kept 17 players while releasing Jake Fraser-McGurk despite his Rs 9 crore price tag after coach Hemang Badani cited insufficient returns.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| KL Rahul | Donovan Ferreira |
| Karun Nair | Faf du Plessis |
| Abishek Porel | Jake Fraser-McGurk |
| Tristan Stubbs | Sediqullah Atal |
| Axar Patel (c) | Manvanth Kumar |
| Sameer Rizvi | Mohit Sharma |
| Ashutosh Sharma | Darshan Nalkande |
| Vipraj Nigam | |
| Ajay Mandal | |
| Tripurana Vijay | |
| Madhav Tiwari | |
| Mitchell Starc | |
| T Natarajan | |
| Mukesh Kumar | |
| Dushmantha Chameera | |
| Kuldeep Yadav | |
| Nitish Rana |
The most notable casualty was Jake Fraser-McGurk, despite his INR 9 crore price tag after coach Hemang Badani publicly stated the investment failed to deliver returns.
Delhi kept Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav as their overseas bowling pillars while T Natarajan stayed despite playing just two matches due to injuries.
Nitish Rana arrived from Kolkata Knight Riders through a trade after impressing in the Delhi Premier League earlier this year. Donovan Ferreira moved to the Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1 crore as Delhi restructured their middle order.
The franchise enters the auction with INR 21.80 crore and nine slots available, including three crucial overseas positions to strengthen their squad.
3. Gujarat Titans List Of Retained & Released Players
Gujarat Titans retained 20 players, including captain Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler, while releasing Sherfane Rutherford, who moved to the Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Shubman Gill (c) | Sherfane Rutherford |
| Sai Sudharsan | Mahipal Lomror |
| Kumar Kushagra | Karim Janat |
| Anuj Rawat | Dasun Shanaka |
| Jos Buttler | Gerald Coetzee |
| Nishant Sindhu | Kulwant Khejroliya |
| Glenn Phillips | |
| Washington Sundar | |
| Arshad Khan | |
| Shahrukh Khan | |
| Rahul Tewatia | |
| Kagiso Rabada | |
| Mohammed Siraj | |
| Prasidh Krishna | |
| Ishant Sharma | |
| Gurnoor Singh Brar | |
| Rashid Khan | |
| Manav Suthar | |
| Sai Kishore | |
| Jayant Yadav |
Gujarat backed their Indian core after Sai Sudharsan won the Orange Cap with 759 runs, including a tournament-leading 88 fours.
The pace attack remains anchored by Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, though both need improved performances after underwhelming seasons. Rashid Khan staying put gives Gujarat their premier spinner, while Glenn Phillips adds middle-order versatility.
Jos Buttler will open the batting as their marquee overseas signing. Sherfane Rutherford was traded to the Mumbai Indians for Rs 2.6 crore as Gujarat prioritised other positions. They have Rs 12.90 crore remaining with five slots to fill at the auction.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders List Of Retained & Released Players
Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders released 9 players, including Andre Russell, who represented the franchise since 2014, and Venkatesh Iyer, bought for Rs 23.75 crore.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane | Mayank Markande |
| Rinku Singh | Andre Russell |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Venkatesh Iyer |
| Manish Pandey | Quinton de Kock |
| Rovman Powell | Anrich Nortje |
| Anukul Roy | Luvnith Sisodia |
| Ramandeep Singh | Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
| Vaibhav Arora | Moeen Ali |
| Sunil Narine | Chetan Sakariya |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | Spencer Johnson |
| Harshit Rana | |
| Umran Malik |
The decision to release Andre Russell after 11 seasons shocked observers as the 37-year-old’s impact waned with just 167 runs and eight wickets in IPL 2025.
Venkatesh Iyer’s departure proved equally surprising, given his Rs 23.75 crore price tag, though he managed only 142 runs at a 139.21 strike rate. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin called Russell’s exit surprising, given his legacy at the franchise.
KKR also parted with overseas players Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje, who both delivered minimal impact.
The sweeping changes leave Kolkata with the tournament’s largest purse at Rs 64.30 crore to fill 13 slots, including six overseas positions for a complete rebuild.
5. Lucknow Super Giants List Of Retained & Released Players
Lucknow Super Giants acquired Rishabh Pant through a trade while retaining 19 players and releasing seven, including Mohammed Shami, who joined via trade from Sunrisers Hyderabad.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | Shardul Thakur |
| Ayush Badoni | David Miller |
| Abdul Samad | Aryan Juyal |
| Aiden Markram | Yuvraj Chaudhary |
| Himmat Singh | Rajvardhan Hangargekar |
| Matthew Breetzke | Akash Deep |
| Nicholas Pooran | Ravi Bishnoi |
| Mitchell Marsh | |
| Shahbaz Ahmad | |
| Arshin Kulkarni | |
| Mayank Yadav | |
| Avesh Khan | |
| Mohsin Khan | |
| M Siddharth | |
| Digvesh Rathi | |
| Prince Yadav | |
| Akash Singh | |
| Arjun Tendulkar | |
| Mohammed Shami |
Lucknow made waves by acquiring Rishabh Pant through a trade to lead their squad, while Mohammed Shami arrived from Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 10 crore despite taking just six wickets at 11.23 economy.
The biggest surprise was Ravi Bishnoi leaving by mutual agreement after his Rs 11 crore retention, with reports suggesting LSG may pursue him back at a reduced value.
Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh provide overseas firepower while Mayank Yadav offers pace potential if he stays fit. Shardul Thakur was traded to the Mumbai Indians for Rs 2 crore as Lucknow restructured their all-round options.
They enter the auction with Rs 22.95 crore and six slots to complete their squad.
6. Mumbai Indians List Of Retained & Released Players
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians retained 20 players, including Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, while releasing Trent Boult and having minimal auction purse available.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | Arjun Tendulkar |
| Suryakumar Yadav | Satyanarayana Raju |
| Robin Minz | Reece Topley |
| Ryan Rickelton | KL Shrijith |
| Tilak Varma | Karn Sharma |
| Hardik Pandya | Bevon Jacobs |
| Naman Dhir | Mujeeb-ur-Rahman |
| Mitchell Santner | Lizaad Williams |
| Will Jacks | Vignesh Puthur |
| Corbin Bosch | |
| Raj Bawa | |
| Trent Boult | |
| Jasprit Bumrah | |
| Deepak Chahar | |
| Ashwani Kumar | |
| Raghu Sharma | |
| Allah Ghazanfar | |
| Mayank Markande | |
| Shardul Thakur | |
| Sherfane Rutherford |
Mumbai kept their championship core intact with Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma leading the pace and batting departments, respectively.
Trent Boult stayed despite questions around his future, while Shardul Thakur joined from Lucknow for Rs 2 crore to add all-round touch.
The franchise made smart acquisitions with Sherfane Rutherford arriving from Gujarat for Rs 2.6 crore and Mayank Markande returning from KKR. Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton both proved their value in IPL 2025 and earned retention.
However, Mumbai’s aggressive retention strategy leaves them with just Rs 2.75 crore for the auction to sign five players across all available slots.
7. Punjab Kings List Of Retained & Released Players
IPL 2025 runners-up Punjab Kings retained 21 players, including captain Shreyas Iyer, while releasing Glenn Maxwell after his poor returns and Kuldeep Sen.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Shreyas Iyer | Josh Inglis |
| Nehal Wadhera | Aaron Hardie |
| Vishnu Vinod | Glenn Maxwell |
| Harnoor Pannu | Kuldeep Sen |
| Pyla Avinash | Praveen Dubey |
| Prabhsimran Singh | |
| Shashank Singh | |
| Marcus Stoinis | |
| Harpreet Brar | |
| Marco Jansen | |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | |
| Priyansh Arya | |
| Musheer Khan | |
| Suryansh Shedge | |
| Mitch Owen | |
| Arshdeep Singh | |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | |
| Vyshak Vijaykumar | |
| Yash Thakur | |
| Xavier Bartlett | |
| Lockie Ferguson |
Punjab’s biggest call was releasing Glenn Maxwell after he managed just 48 runs in six innings at 8.00 average in stark contrast to his 2014 peak.
The runners-up kept their core group that had nearly won the title, as Josh Inglis smashed 39 off 23 balls, including four sixes, before falling in the final. Shashank Singh remained unbeaten on 61 off 30 but couldn’t get Punjab over the line.
Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal anchor the bowling attack while Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen provide overseas all-round balance.
Coach Ricky Ponting wants high-quality overseas additions to strengthen middle-order power. Punjab have Rs 11.50 crore remaining with four slots, including key overseas positions available.
8. Royal Challengers Bangalore List Of Retained & Released Players
IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bangalore retained 17 players, including Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar, while releasing Liam Livingstone and Mayank Agarwal.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Rajat Patidar | Mayank Agarwal |
| Virat Kohli | Swastik Chhikara |
| Tim David | Tim Seifert |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Liam Livingstone |
| Phil Salt | Manoj Bhandage |
| Jitesh Sharma | Lungi Ngidi |
| Krunal Pandya | Mohit Rathee |
| Jacob Bethell | |
| Romario Shepherd | |
| Swapnil Singh | |
| Josh Hazlewood | |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | |
| Rasikh Salam | |
| Yash Dayal | |
| Suyash Sharma | |
| Nuwan Thushara | |
| Abhinandan Singh |
The champions retained their winning core as Virat Kohli finished third in run-scoring with 700 runs across 16 matches, including his 43 in the final.
Krunal Pandya became the first player to win two Player of the Match awards in IPL finals after taking 2-17 in four overs. Rajat Patidar proved the management’s faith by leading RCB to their maiden title in his debut season as captain.
Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar form the pace attack that defended 190 in the final. Liam Livingstone was released despite contributing to the title run. RCB have Rs 16.40 crore remaining with seven slots to fill as they aim to defend their crown.
9. Rajasthan Royals List Of Retained & Released Players
Rajasthan Royals completed blockbuster trades, bringing Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from Chennai while releasing captain Sanju Samson in the three-way exchange.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Shubham Dubey | Sanju Samson |
| Vaibhav Suryavanshi | Nitish Rana |
| Lhuan-dre Pretorius | Kunal Singh Rathore |
| Shimron Hetmyer | Maheesh Theekshana |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Wanindu Hasaranga |
| Dhruv Jurel | Fazalhaq Farooqi |
| Riyan Parag | Akash Madhwal |
| Yudhvir Singh Charak | Kumar Kartikeya |
| Jofra Archer | Ashok Sharma |
| Tushar Deshpande | |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | |
| Kwena Maphaka | |
| Nandre Burger | |
| Ravindra Jadeja | |
| Sam Curran | |
| Donovan Ferreira |
The franchise pulled off the tournament’s biggest trade by acquiring Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from Chennai for Sanju Samson, who departed at Rs 18 crore.
Jadeja returns after 14 years, having last played for Rajasthan in 2008 before his long Chennai stint. The spin department needed restructuring after releasing Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag form the batting core, while Jofra Archer provides pace firepower when fit. Donovan Ferreira joined from Delhi Capitals for Rs 1 crore to strengthen the middle order.
Rajasthan have Rs 16.05 crore remaining with nine slots available to complete their squad at the December auction.
10. Sunrisers Hyderabad List Of Retained & Released Players
Sunrisers Hyderabad retained 15 players, including Heinrich Klaasen and Travis Head, while trading Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 10 crore.
| Retained | Released |
|---|---|
| Travis Head | Mohammad Shami |
| Abhishek Sharma | Abhinav Manohar |
| Aniket Verma | Atharva Taide |
| R Smaran | Sachin Baby |
| Ishan Kishan | Wiaan Mulder |
| Heinrich Klaasen | Simarjeet Singh |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | Rahul Chahar |
| Harsh Dubey | Adam Zampa |
| Kamindu Mendis | |
| Harshal Patel | |
| Brydon Carse | |
| Pat Cummins | |
| Jaydev Unadkat | |
| Eshan Malinga | |
| Zeeshan Ansari |
Sunrisers made the bold call to trade Mohammed Shami to Lucknow for Rs 10 crore after he took just six wickets at 56.16 average with 11.23 economy. Heinrich Klaasen stayed despite speculation around his hefty valuation as SRH backed their middle-order anchor.
The spin department needs rebuilding after releasing both Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar ahead of the auction. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma remain the explosive opening pair that provides aggressive starts.
Pat Cummins was retained, though his IPL 2025 contributions fell short of expectations. Sunrisers have Rs 25.50 crore remaining with seven slots to fill, including crucial pace-bowling reinforcements for the new season.
Also Read:
Conclusion: IPL Teams Are Looking For A Complete Team Shift For The 2026 Season
The retention window revealed contrasting strategies as Kolkata Knight Riders released Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer to gain Rs 64.30 crore, while Mumbai Indians kept 20 players, leaving just Rs 2.75 crore available.
Chennai Super Kings traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran for Sanju Samson while releasing 11 others, including Matheesha Pathirana.
Punjab Kings retained 21 players after their final defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore, who claimed their maiden title.
The December 16 auction in Abu Dhabi will determine how franchises fill remaining gaps with Rs 237.55 crore combined purse across all teams.
FAQs
Kolkata Knight Riders have Rs 64.30 crore available after releasing nine players, including Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer, to rebuild following their eighth-place finish in IPL 2025.
Pathirana’s economy rate climbed to 10.13 in IPL 2025 after taking 13 wickets, while modifications to his bowling action by Sri Lanka Cricket reduced his pace and match impact considerably.
Punjab Kings retained 21 players, marking the highest among all franchises after reaching their second final in IPL history, before releasing Glenn Maxwell, who managed just 48 runs in six innings.
Chennai Super Kings traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals for Sanju Samson, while Mohammed Shami moved from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 10 crore.
The auction takes place on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi with 77 player slots available and a combined purse of Rs 237.55 crore remaining across ten franchises.
