IPL 2026 Retained Players: Team-Wise Full List

IPL 2026 is nearly here, and supporters cannot wait to watch their favorite players perform. The retention of players is the first step that each franchise can take before the sale. 

These players are generally those who have been the most successful, the leaders of the team, or the promising young talents who have demonstrated their potential in the past seasons.

In this blog, we have shared the full list of IPL 2026 retained players, team by team. 

IPL 2026 Retention Rules Explained

Before the IPL 2026 mini-auction, all teams had to decide which players to retain and which to release. The IPL Auction Players List helps teams review available talent and make strategic decisions. Retained players are usually top performers, team leaders, or young talents who form the core of the squad.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Deadline: Teams submitted their retained players list by 15 November 2025.
• Squad size: Maximum of 25 players per team.
• Salary cap: Teams must stay within ₹120 crore for the full squad.
• Strategy: Retaining expensive players reduces money left for the auction, so teams plan carefully.

In short, retention helps teams keep their core players while balancing their budget for the upcoming mini-auction.

IPL 2026 Retained Players – Team-Wise Full List

1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Retained Players 2026

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Noor Ahmad, Jamie Overton, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Urvil Patel, Ayush Mhatre, Gurjapneet Singh

2. Mumbai Indians (MI) Retained Players 2026

Hardik Pandya (C), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma, Deepak Chahar, Naman Dhir, Trent Boult, AM Ghazanfar, Mitchell Santner, Ryan Rickelton, Robin Minz, Raj Angad Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Retained Players 2026

Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar Salam, Abhinandan Singh, Suyash Sharma

4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Retained Players 2026

Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Umran Malik

5. Delhi Capitals (DC) Retained Players 2026

Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Karun Nair, Abishek Porel, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay, Ajay Mandal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, Nitish Rana

6. Rajasthan Royals (RR) Retained Players 2026

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yudhvir Singh, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Lhuan‑Dre Pretorius, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Donovan Ferreira

7. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Retained Players

Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari

8. Punjab Kings (PBKS) Retained Players 2026

Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Azmatullah Omarzai, Lockie Ferguson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Xavier Bartlett, Suryansh Shedge, Pyla Avinash, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Singh Pannu

9. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Retained Players 2026

Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, Mohammed Shami, Arjun Tendulkar

10. Gujarat Titans (GT) Retained Players 2026

Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Nishant Sindhu, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Manav Suthar, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Brar, Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips

Conclusion

The IPL 2026 retained players list shows how teams are getting ready for the new season. Keeping the right players helps teams stay strong, mix experienced stars with young talent, and plan better for the mini-auction.

This list is useful for fans and fantasy cricket players to understand team strength and predict how the season might go. It gives a clear idea of which players will be key and how exciting IPL 2026 is going to be.

FAQs

1. What is the IPL 2026 retained players list?
The IPL 2026 retained players list shows the players that each team has kept from their previous squad before the mini-auction. It helps teams maintain a strong core and plan for the new season.

2. How many players can a team retain in IPL 2026?

Each IPL team can retain a certain number of players, usually between 12–17, depending on the retention rules set by the BCCI for the 2026 season.

3. Where can I find the official IPL 2026 retained players list?
The official list is published by the IPL on their website and confirmed by reliable cricket news sources. Fans can check team announcements for the most accurate information.

4. How does retention affect the IPL mini-auction?
Retention reduces the available purse for teams, meaning they must spend carefully in the mini-auction. It also ensures the team’s core players are already secured.