RTM Strategy Deep Dive: Which Teams Will Skip Retention in IPL 2026 to Play RTM Power?

With the IPL 2026 auction tentatively slated to be held sometime in December, teams will need to finalise their retention plans soon as the date draws closer. The upcoming auction will, however, be a mini-auction, as the teams look to revamp their sides in a bid to come back stronger in the next edition.

While most teams are expected to retain their core for IPL 2026, which they formed at the mega-auction last time around, there are a few teams that might skip retaining some big names to use RTM power later in the auction and rope them in. This would allow the franchise to free up budget and a few extra slots, which they can use accordingly to bolster the side.

Let’s take a look at the teams that can go a similar route for the upcoming IPL 2026.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

The three-time IPL winners had a disappointing last season, where they finished in the bottom half of the points table at eighth. It was also a season where their proven matchwinners failed to deliver, which might prompt the franchise to take a punt and release them into the auction pool to use RTM later.

• Venkatesh Iyer – He was the third most expensive buy at the IPL 2025 auction at INR 23.75 crore. However, the left-hander failed to live up to the lofty price tag with just 142 runs at an average touching 20s.
• Andre Russell – The swashbuckling all-rounder has been with KKR for 11 years, but his stocks have fallen of late, and there has been a decline in his workload as well. Retained for INR 12 crore last season, Russell looks like a pale shadow of his former self, and KKR might risk releasing one of their most loyal custodian in IPL 2026.

Other players who can be released by KKR: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya, and Shivam Shukla.

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Delhi Capitals is another franchise looking to exercise their RTM for a few names rather than retaining them. DC have a few departments to fix, especially their top-order batting and pace bowling and will release cricketers from there.

• Mukesh Kumar – After impressing in IPL 2024, DC decided to splurge on him in IPL 2025, but the INR 8 crore recruit couldn’t do an encore, picking just 12 pickets in 12 games. He has fallen out of the pecking order in the Indian team, and DC will hope to get him cheaper at the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
• Jake Fraser-McGurk – The Aussie top-order batter was another big-money signing at INR 9 crore, but was far from good. He played six games, averaging under 10 and was subsequently dropped from the side. However, JFM is a good talent, and DC might be looking to reacquire him using RTM.
• T Natarajan – The left-arm pacer, for whom DC splurged INR 10.75 crore, played only one game. He had a delayed return to the side after his injury and failed to find wickets in the solitary match he bowled.

Other players who can be released by Delhi Capitals: Dushmantha Chameera, Mohit Sharma, Darshan Nalkande, Manvanth Kumar, and Faf du Plessis.

ALSO READ:

• Harry Brook Declares England As The Side To Beat in T20 World Cup 2026
• Who Has The Most Centuries in Women’s ODIs? Full List Of Players With Most Women’s ODI Hundreds
• Most Centuries in Women’s ODI World Cup: Smriti Mandhana Enters Top 10 List After A Hundred in Must-Win Clash
• Bangladesh Recall Litton Das As Captain In T20Is Against the West Indies, Key Batter Left Out
• 7 IPL 2025 Released Players Who Could Be Auction Kings

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Like KKR, SRH too had a subpar season with just six wins in 14 games, and some of their expensive signings did not deliver the goods. SRH, too, might opt against retaining a few big names in the hope of acquiring them using RTM for the IPL 2026.

• Ishan Kishan – Bought for a whopping INR 11.25 crore, the wicketkeeper-batter made an explosive start with an unbeaten century (106*) but struggled after that with inconsistencies. In the remaining 12 innings that he batted, Ishan could manage just one more fifty.
• Mohammed Shami – Despite being one of India’s most experienced pacers, Shami might not feature in the SRH retention list due to his forgettable performance in IPL 2025, where he picked only six wickets in nine games. Nevertheless, he has looked in stellar form of late, and SRH will look to acquire him at a cheaper amount than his current price of INR 10 crore.

Other players who can be released by SRH: Adam Zampa, Brydon Carse, Sachin Baby, Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, and Rahul Chahar.

Mumbai Indians (MI)

The five-time IPL winners made it to the playoffs in the previous season but lost in Qualifier 2. While they made some good signings, there were a few which did not work out for them.

• Deepak Chahar – He was their second-highest purchase at INR 9.25 crore, but was not up to the mark. He bowled at a high economy of 9.17 at an unimpressive average of 34.18. It only makes sense that MI releases Chahar and buys him back at a discounted rate for the IPL 2026.
• AM Ghazanfar – The mystery spinner was picked up for INR 4.8 crore but missed the season due to injury. While he burst onto the scene with extreme promise, he hasn’t looked his best recently, going wicketless in the five overs he bowled in the Asia Cup 2025.
• Will Jacks – MI acquired the England all-rounder for INR 5.25 crore. He was supposed to be a steal deal, given his contributions in 2024 with RCB, where he scored a century and a fifty. But it was not the same Jacks at MI, and his recent form also hasn’t been great, which might prompt the Mumbai outfit to go the RTM route.

Other players who can be released by Mumbai Indians: Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Lizaad Williams, Satyanarayana Raju, and Robin Minz.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.