The franchises must finalise retentions before the November 15 deadline.
With the IPL 2026 retention deadline just hours away, there is growing excitement among fans. The franchise will be going through their final drafts before they announce their retention list.
Teams will face some major headaches in the process as they will have some tough decisions to make. Each team will have one or multiple players around whom they will have intense debate whether to retain or release. We take a look at each team’s toughest retention calls before the IPL 2026 auction.
Chennai Super Kings have almost secured the Sanju Samson trade in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The CSK retained players 2026 list will also include underperformers from the previous season. The likes of Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, and Vijay Shankar are expected to be released.
The big question in the CSK retention list 2026 will be around Matheesha Pathirana. The Sri Lanka pacer had a poor 2025 season and has been below par this year. He was retained ahead of the mega auction for INR 12 crore so would free up a good chunk of purse if included in the CSK released players 2026 list.
Looking at the possible DC released players 2026, there might not be any tough calls for them as most of those seem pretty straight forward. T Natarajan was bought for INR 10.75 crore and is likely to miss out on the DC retention list 2026. They can later try to sign him for a cheaper price in the IPL auction.
Jake Fraser-McGurk is another name that could miss the DC retained players 2026 list due to his poor form and price tag of INR 9 crore.
Gujarat Titans didn’t have a great season this year as they reached the playoffs but couldn’t get past the Eliminator. The GT retention list 2026 is unlikely to have any major omissions as the franchise prefers stability. Gerald Coetzee and Glenn Phillips are likely to be in the GT released players 2026.
Apart from them, Kagiso Rabada didn’t have a good campaign, picking up two wickets from four games at an economy of 11.57. His T20 form perhaps doesn’t warrant a price tag of INR 10.75 crore. Titans have a choice to make whether to bank on star power or free up the budget.
The KKR released players 2026 list could be interesting to see as they look to address several issues. The major question will be around Venkatesh Iyer, whom they had bought for INR 23.75 crore. They could release him and try to reacquire in the mini auction. But that could be a risky move.
The KKR retention list 2026 is also expected to have Andre Russell. But the 37-year old is getting older and his form has dropped off in recent years. He has had fitness issues as well, which makes this a tricky decision.
Lucknow Super Giants had acquired Rishabh Pant in the IPL 2025 mega auction for a record-breaking price of INR 27 crore. Despite the price tag, he will be in the LSG retained players 2026 list.
Ravi Bishnoi is likely to be among the LSG released players 2026. However, the decision about Mayank Yadav is tricky. He was retained before the mega auction for INR 11 crore. They have shown faith in him but the young pacer has been dealing with injuries. David Miller couldn’t deliver in the last season after being signed for INR 7.50 crore. But he is still among the best finishers. It will be interesting to see if he makes the LSG retention list.
Mumbai Indians have secured Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford through trade deals ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The MI retention list, however, will not see any major surprises.
Trent Boult and Mitch Santner will be in the MI retained players 2026 along with Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch. The two question marks are whether Deepak Chahar and Will Jacks will be in the MI released players 2026. Both players were disappointing for a large part of the season. By releasing them, they can free up around INR 15 crore.
The PBKS released players 2026 list might see a couple of big names. Marcus Stoinis was acquired for INR 11 crore and the franchise will have a call to take. He did a good job down the order but didn’t get much time in the middle. Whether they will retain him for such a limited role for that price remains to be seen.
Glenn Maxwell is also unlikely to make the PBKS retention list after the season he has had. But he is a big player so there could be some debate within the management.
Rajasthan Royals have acquired Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran through a trade with CSK, giving away Sanju Samson. This will have an impact on the RR retained players 2026 list. For starters, to complete the trade, they must let go one overseas player from the existing squad.
At least one of Wanindu Hasaranga of Maheesh Theekshana is likely to be in the RR released players 2026. Both Sri Lankan spinners were poor in the last season. Shimron Hetmyer takes up INR 11 crore and releasing him will help them free up the budget.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched the maiden title this year and they are not likely to make too many changes. The RCB retained players 2026 list should have most of the squad members from the previous edition.
One big question is whether Liam Livingstone will be in the RCB retention list 2026. The Englishman had a below average campaign and has not particularly been in smashing form. To free up some purse, they have to let go of one high-profile player.
ALSO READ:
There have been rumours floating around about Sunrisers Hyderabad potentially letting go of Heinrich Klaasen. If he’s excluded from the SRH retention list 2026, it would be the biggest surprise release in a mini auction. Klaasen has done well for the franchise but his form outside of the IPL, has not been great. Which could tempt the franchise to release him and try to sign at a lower price.
Pat Cummins is another name SRH might have a heated debate about. The captain is currently recovering from a back injury and his participation in the next season is not certain. Could the franchise take a gamble and release one of them ahead of the IPL 2026 auction?
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
