IPL 2026 | Full List of Players Retained and Released & Team Squads

The hype for 2026 IPL season is at an all-time high already with all the ten franchises now having officially finalised their retentions, releases and pre-auction trades as of the November 15 deadline. This being a mini-auction becomes even more significant because last year was big auction and almost all teams tried practically different combinations, some of them still struggling to frozen cows from bulls.

Yet again, a spate of combative trades, shocking releases and brave retentions have changed the face of the tournament. From marquee player exchanges to teams putting much of their faith in young talent, the fillip is for another heady auction night.

Here’s a team-by-team breakup of all released players, retained squads, trades and whereby stands each franchise as we head to the IPL 2026 auction.

Team-Wise Overview, Releases & Squads for IPL 2026

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Once again, Chennai Super Kings have witnessed massive pre-auction rejig the kind of which we haven’t in a long, long time. The headline is the trade of Ravindra Jadeja, a perennial match-winner for many seasons now, in return for Sanju Samson. CSK have obviously kept wicketkeeping and middle-order their priority in the auction, with a slight reduction in overseas core.

The releasing of a number of big names such as Devon Conway, Sam Curran, Pathirana, Rachin & some others are indicative of an all-out rebuild. With MS Dhoni in the line-up, the legendary keeper will give fans one final push for a big season.

Retained Players

Released Players

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Delhi Capitals have been smart with the auctions, concentrating more on strengthening their batting lineup and middle order. Nitish Rana is their most high-impact trade and adds a left-handed batting option with leadership qualities. They have continued to maintain a good solid bowling unit and also haven’t violated their core made up of Indians.

With the releasing of their big names in Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mohit Sharma among others indicates that they are ready to build a younger side around Axar Patel and KL Rahul.

DC Retained Players

Released Players

Gujarat Titans (GT)

Gujarat Titans They have kept their trusted core which includes Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rashid Khan combined with an equally strong Indian bowling subsidiary. But they let go of quite a few overseas talents – Dasun Shanaka, Coetzee and Karim Janat – to set the stage for tactical shopping at the auction.

The squad is fairly well-rounded, though GT might be in the market for big hitters and reserve seamers at the auction.

GT Retained Players

Released Players

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

KKR took many by surprise by not retaining some of their senior players such as Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Moeen Ali and even fast bowler Anrich Nortje. That points to a huge reset – and perhaps an attempt to focus on youth.

With Sunil Narine, Rinku and Ajinkya Rahane as their experienced core, KKR could be very busy during the auction to plug in a few holes in their middle order and pace department.

KKR Retained Players

Released Players

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Lucknow Super Giants have played it smart, prioritising building a strong Indian bowling core, trading for Arjun Tendulkar and Mohammed Shami. They have also let seasoned hands like David Miller, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph go as a sign of their eagerness to operate with a trim and an adaptable squad.

With Rishabh Pant leading LSG, the franchise seem on the hunt of bring stability in top-order and options in all-rounders at auction.

LSG Retained Players

Released Players

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Mumbai Indians are clearly rebuilding by loading up on all-rounders and fast bowlers. Getting Shardul Thakur, Sherfane Rutherford and Mayank Markande boosts the squad’s depth, but it has released a string of bench players to simplify its purse position.

With the core of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah intact, MI is one of the front-runners among teams ahead of auction.

MI Retained Players

Released Players

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Punjab Kings too have opted for an all-rounder heavy side,keeping Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai and Harpreet Brar. They have let go of Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie and others to signal an embrace around youth and long-term thinking.

PBKS seem to have a balanced squad in all the departments, and they may go after another power hitter and seam/pace-bowling backup during the auction.

PBKS Retained Players

Released Players

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Rajasthan Royals have been the most active team so far in the trade window, landing three big scalps – Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran and Donald Ferreira. The pre-auction season’s most unexpected move was the trade of captain Sanju Samson.

RR seems to be building a new era around young wonders, men such as Jaiswal, Parag and Jurel, backed by an experienced pace battery in Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger.

RR Retained Players

Released Players

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

RCB have also taken some bold calls in terms of let go Mayank Agarwal, Livingstone, Ngidi and other players, hinting at a large scale re-structure around Kohli-Patidar along with the overhauled bowling attack. They have a good all-round depth and enough experience in the pace department.

The auction will be an important one for RCB as the team can scout players with good experience in death overs and also get some backup spinners, finishers.

RCB Retained Players

Released Players

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

SRH are once again cementing their top order with Head, Abhishek Sharma and Harley Cummins plus good wicketkeeper stock in Ishan Kishan and Klaasen. Losing Shami would sting, but they have kept a good blend of young players and veterans.

With a well rounded team intact, SRH will perhaps go big on all-rounders and back up pacers in the auction.

SRH Retained Players

Release Players

Final Thoughts

And so, the IPL 2026 mini-auction will be high on drama with a lot of big names released and several others with reset buttons turned on for their franchises. Teams have different strategies when it comes to the retention window, some based on veteran cores, others leaning more on youth and trades.

With several franchises seeking to bolster their squad strength in all-rounders, death bowlers and power-hitters, the auction night will rewrite the contour of what IPL 2026 would be.