As teams gear up for the IPL 2026 mini-auction (December 13 – 15, 2025), retention becomes crucial. Franchises aim to strike a balance—holding onto their core performers while freeing up slots for emerging talent ahead of the November 15 retention deadline.
While some players have been released, franchises have locked in their core by retaining key performers who will form the backbone of their squads. Here’s a complete team-wise guide of retained players, along with the latest view on squads, trade buzz, and strategic direction across all 10 IPL teams for the upcoming season.
IPL 2026 Retained Players List (Core Players)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
- Core Retentions: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Phil Salt, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Mayank Agarwal, Swastik Chikara, Jacob Bethell, Manoj Bhandage.
- Strategy: Balanced blend of proven stars and all-round versatility; RCB focus on Indian batting spine with overseas pace depth.
Like to know? Highest Wicket-Takers for RCB in IPL History
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Notable Retentions: MS Dhoni (mentor), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra, Noor Ahmad, Shaik Rasheed, Andre Siddharth.
- Focus: Leadership transition under Gaikwad while bolstering death-overs pace and spin options for Chepauk conditions.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
- Key Retentions: KL Rahul (c), Faf du Plessis, Axar Patel, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Donovan Ferreira, Abishek Porel.
- Balance: Heavy top-order experience with Starc adding X-factor to the bowling unit; renewed focus on spin and finishing power.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Retained Stars: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Ryan Rickelton, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Allah Ghazanfar.
- Core Strength: All-round depth and strong Indian spine built around Bumrah-Hardik-SKY trio; targeting spin and finisher roles in auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Retained Core: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Chetan Sakariya.
- Essence: Power-hitters and mystery spinners stay central while franchise plans fresh Indian pacers for depth.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
- Retained Core: Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Akash Deep, Prince Yadav.
- Approach: Aggressive batting core with spin control; focus on leadership and death-overs execution.
Gujarat Titans (GT)
- Retained Players: Shubman Gill (c), Rashid Khan, Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan.
- Strategy: Balanced squad with elite top order and multi-skill bowlers; GT look set for another deep playoff run.
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
- Key Retentions: Shreyas Iyer (c), Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Shashank Singh, Musheer Khan.
- Direction: Indian core around Arshdeep & Iyer; focus on finisher and power-play stability with new overseas signing likely.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Retained Core: Sanju Samson (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Kumar Kartikeya.
- Vision: Stable Indian youth core with world-class finishers; RR retain Samson as captain ending trade speculation.
Read more: – CSK Rejects RR’s Trade Offer for Sanju Samson Ahead of IPL 2026
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Retained Players: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Kamindu Mendis, Adam Zampa.
- Theme: Power-packed top order and world-class spin; SRH aim to add one Indian finisher and backup seamer at auction.
Read more: – Most Successful IPL Captains
IPL 2026 Retained Players List all Team: Summary Table
| Team | Retained Players | Focus Area & Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| RCB | Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Phil Salt, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal, Mayank Agarwal, Swastik Chikara, Jacob Bethell, Manoj Bhandage, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee | Defending champions focusing on continuity and bench depth while freeing budget for a marquee overseas all-rounder and death-over bowler. |
| CSK | MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Shaik Rasheed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shreyas Gopal, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth | Blending experience with youth to rebuild batting and spin options while preparing a smooth leadership transition. |
| DC | KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Faf du Plessis, Mitchell Starc, Tristan Stubbs, Kuldeep Yadav, Abishek Porel, Donovan Ferreira, Darshan Nalkande, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Madhav Tiwari, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Manvanth Kumar L, Vipraj Nigam, Tripurana Vijay | Revamping their top order and adding bowling firepower to support Starc and Nortje, focusing on playoff qualification push. |
| MI | Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Ryan Rickelton, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Allah Ghazanfar, Satyanarayana Raju, Raj Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur, Krishnan Shrijith | Building on a solid Indian core with strong overseas pacers and spinners; aiming for another title run. |
| KKR | Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mayank Markande, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia (wk), Anukul Roy, Chetan Sakariya | Retaining their power-hitting and spin core while preparing to strengthen their pace attack with new signings. |
| GT | Shubman Gill(c), Rashid Khan, Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Anuj Rawat, Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Nishant Sindhu, Mahipal Lomror, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Washington Sundar, Gurnoor Brar, Arshad Khan, Sai Kishore, Kulwant Khejroliya | Maintaining a world-class top order and pace duo while adding middle-order finishers and spinners. |
| PBKS | Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Josh Inglis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Harnoor Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Vishnu Vinod, Pravin Dubey, Pyla Avinash | Retaining a spin-heavy setup and talented Indian batting lineup, looking to add a big overseas finisher. |
| RR | Sanju samson(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Kumar Kartikeya, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Ashok Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kwena Maphaka, Kunal Rathore, | Betting on young Indian batting stars while retaining overseas bowling match-winners like Archer. |
| SRH | Pat Cummins(c), Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Rahul Chahar, Abhishek Sharma, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Adam Zampa, Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga | Keeping a strong overseas trio and spin-bowling core while looking to add reliable Indian finishers. |
| LSG | Rishabh Pant(c), Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Aryan Juyal, Akash Deep, Himmat Singh, M. Siddharth, Shahbaz Ahmed, Matthew Breetzke, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Arshin Kulkarni | Continuing with a batting-heavy approach while seeking death-over specialists and leadership stability. |
What’s the Latest?
- Trade Window Open: Teams actively discussing swaps before Nov 15; RCB and KKR linked to Venkatesh Iyer deal talks.
- Retention vs Auction: Mini-auction pressure is forcing tighter cores and fewer releases this year.
- Uncapped Talent Focus: Several teams retaining domestic performers to manage purse balance.
- Overseas Slots: Teams keeping 4–6 foreign players; multi-skill all-rounders in high demand.
Why It Matters
- Continuity: Retained players create team identity and stability ahead of the auction.
- Budget Management: Selective retentions free up funds for impact buys in December.
- Talent Pipeline: Mix of veterans and uncapped talent sets long-term direction for each franchise.
Read more: – IPL 2026 Released Players List
The IPL 2026 Retained Players List reflects how franchises are investing smartly — retaining match-winners, nurturing young talent, and planning for succession. Whether it’s RCB’s balanced core, MI’s depth, or CSK’s youth infusion, each team has laid its foundation for a thrilling auction battle in December.
Disclaimer: These retained lists are based on latest team updates and expert reports as of October 10 2025. Official confirmation will be released by BCCI and franchises closer to the IPL 2026 mini-auction (Dec 13 – 15).
